Marble Serpent
by Lee Black
Summary: When Harry Potter disappears and Harry reappears working for a stranger, what will happen when Tom Riddle shows up and starts courting him? HPTR, HPLV slash.
1. A New Beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

...

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

...

It started out as a typical day - Petunia pulled him out of the cupboard at six thirty in the morning and immediately sent him out to weed the garden.

Three hours later, after weeding and trimming both the front and back gardens, Petunia took Harry into the kitchen and practically shoved him into one of the chairs that he'd previously never been allowed to sit in.

"Thank you, Pet," Vernon said from the doorway. "I'll be upstairs in just a moment." Petunia nodded and made her way upstairs while Vernon glared at Harry.

The six year old watched him with an eery sort of intelligence, and for a moment, neither of them said anything.

The silence was broken when Vernon threw a worn leather messenger bag at Harry, hitting the child in the face with the thing. Harry said nothing, though he couldn't hide the wince and quiet whine as the bag reopened a cut on his cheekbone.

"Don't stare at me, boy," Vernon snapped. "We're taking Dudley on a vacation to the United States and he decided that you will come along to carry his things."

A bright smile came over the child's face as the news sank in. "I am coming with you?" he asked, clutching the bag against his chest as he hesitantly stood up.

"Yes, boy," Vernon said, sighing in exasperation. "Hurry up and pack your bag; we're leaving for the airport in half an hour and I will not stand for you holding us up."

Harry stood still, not quite sure what to make of the news, until Vernon backhanded him.

"Don't stand there like an imbecile, boy," he snapped. "Go pack your things before you have to take Dudley's things out to the car." He glared at the child, restraining himself from hitting the child again. "Hurry up."

Harry scurried into action, immediately doing his best not to upset his uncle again. If he made the man angry with him in any way, there would be no way he would be allowed to go to on vacation with the Dursleys. He ran to his cupboard, and after some jimmying, he yanked the door open, nearly pulling it off the hinges in the process. He grabbed the few spare clothes that he had and shoved them into the leather bag haphazardly. Noticing that he still had plenty of room in the bag, he added the sketchbook that he'd ... found ... in a cubby in the art classroom in school before his uncle pulled him completely out of school. He hadn't yet drawn anything in the book in the eight months since he took the book, but it felt nice even owning something that offered him something of a fresh start. A clean slate, as it were.

About twenty minutes later, Harry had packed his bag and lugged Dudley's four suitcases, each of them larger than himself, down the stairs and pushed them into the back of Vernon's Mercedes. The fifth, and final, of his cousin's suitcases, had been heavier than all the others. Harry had barely managed to bring it to the top of the stairs before it toppled over, sending both itself and Harry careening to the floor eighteen stairs below.

Vernon stood at the open door, his arms crossed over his chest. He watched passively as Harry pulled himself to his feet and surveilled his injuries. His nose was bleeding and his left wrist was throbbing. His back was aching, and the cut on his cheek had once again reopened, but it wasn't bleeding much.

"I don't have all day to wait on you, boy," Vernon said. "Hurry up and put the suitcase in the car. You're going to make us late."

Harry looked up at him, his eyes welling up with tears that he refused to let fall. He nodded and once again grabbed the suitcase, biting his tongue to muffle the cry. His wrist had to be strained, if not broken, but he dragged the suitcase out to the car and shoved it into the back of the car. Once it was secured, Harry ran back into the house and grabbed his own small bag.

Vernon slapped him upside the back of his head as he crawled into the back seat of the car, next to Dudley.

"Can't we just shove the freak in the trunk?" Dudley asked, shoving Harry and his bag onto the floor of the seat. "I don't want him to infect me."

"There's no room left in the trunk, Dudders," Petunia said as Vernon got into the driver's seat and started the car. "It's only a short ride to the airport."

The larger boy scowled and elbowed Harry in the stomach, knocking the breath out of the smaller boy. "I don't want him anywhere near me in the jet," he said.

Petunia nodded, not looking back at her son. "Of course, darling," she said. "He'll be in the luggage compartment of the jet."

"We're taking a jet?" Dudley asked.

Vernon laughed as he drove out of the driveway and down the street. "Of course we're taking a jet. Only the best for us, and it will get us there a few hours faster than a commercial plane would," he said.

...

Nearly an hour later, Vernon pulled his car into the parking lot of a relatively small airport. Petunia and Dudley got out the car and were immediately greeted by two attendants. Vernon directed them to take care of the luggage as he turned the car off. "I'll meet you inside, Petunia," he said before grinning menacingly at the six year old in the back seat.

Had he not been expecting to be yanked out of the car and slapped, it would have hurt much more than it did. Unfortunately, after a short lifetime knowing only abuse from his only living relatives, this had become the norm for Harry. So did the warnings that followed the strikes. "You will behave yourself. If you embarrass us in any way, I will turn your skin black and blue. Am I making myself clear?" he asked.

Harry nodded silently, gripping the bottom hem of his shirt so tightly that his knuckles were white. He stared pointedly at the ground, already knowing that looking at his uncle right now would lead to a black eye. "I understand, sir," he said after a momentary pause.

"Good, now straighten your clothes and get your bag," Vernon said irritably.

Harry nodded. He turned around and reached into the car to get his bag. As soon as he'd slipped the messenger bag over his shoulders and tucked in the bottom of his shirt into the tops of his jeans, he turned around expecting to see his Uncle glaring down at him.

There was no one there. His Uncle had disappeared.

Harry ran around the car, trying to see if Vernon had gotten fed up with him and started walking into the airport terminal. The only people he saw were men in expensive suits and men in cheap suits following the men in expensive suits, carrying suitcases for the men they were following.

He fell back against the trunk of the car, hesitantly untucking his shirt. He looked around some more, hoping that his Uncle would reappear and berate him for misbehaving. No such luck. Harry closed his eyes, absently pinching the bridge of his nose like Petunia did when she was upset with Dudley but didn't want to say anything.

A moment passed, and Vernon still hadn't reappeared, but Harry felt someone watching him. He looked up to meet the eyes of whoever was watching him and he immediately found himself looking at a clean shaven older man. He had just gotten out of a red Porsche, and was watching Harry almost curiously. They watched each other for a moment before the man straightened himself and pulled an overcoat and a suitcase out of his car.

Harry looked away, and a splitting pain met his forehead, emanating from the lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. His hands immediately went to his forehead and he groaned quietly. The pain increased when he heard a voice echoing in his mind.

_Nagini ... Where is the boy?_

The hissed question in his head terrified him and his eyes shot open. Without thinking, he turned and bolted out of the parking lot. He ran down the road as fast as he could, heading into the alleys of the city not far away from the private terminal and avoiding everyone in his path.

When he couldn't breathe any longer, he collapsed behind a dumpster in an otherwise empty alleyway. He felt relatively safe from the voice that had asked the question, and the man that had watched him wasn't anywhere near him anymore.

After he caught his breath, he pulled his bag back up over his shoulders and decided to look around the area where he'd stopped running.

It was a small courtyard of shops, and as soon as he stepped out of the alley, a rather pleasant shiver ran down his spine and a light breeze caught him by surprise.

There was a fountain in the center of the courtyard, and a number of trees and small cafe tables surrounding the fountain. A few people were mulling around outside, talking with each other and wandering from shop to shop.

The shops themselves were all built of worn red brick and had large windows in the front, and a number of them had their doors propped open.

One shop in particular stood out to Harry, and he didn't seem to be able to stop himself from approaching it. It was similar to the other shops in the courtyard, but it's front window was completely tinted so that no one could see what was inside. The door was shut, but the name etched plainly onto it was what truly captured his attention.

**Serpicos**

Without hesitating, Harry grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. As soon as he took a step into the shop, he was immediately fascinated - the interior of the shop was more than he ever thought a shop could be.

It was warmer inside the shop than outside, but the sun shone brightly inside the store through the window and a few sky-lights. There were a number of trees planted in the room, large branches were propped up against the floor and the walls, and there was a large black leather sofa against the wall next to the window.

A number of different species of snakes lounged around the room, and as Harry walked further inside, he took note of the barely audible whispers filling the shop. One particularly loud whisper caught his attention and he looked up above his head - a large green snake wrapped around a large branch above the door stared back at him, rapidly flicking his tongue in and out.

As he stepped away from the door, he felt something wrap around his leg. He looked down and saw a small, pale yellow snake making its way up and around his leg. It looped itself around his neck and apparently made itself comfortable there, and Harry stood as still as he could, petrified that if he moved, he would get bitten by the snake.

"She's one of the most harmless creatures in here," a man's voice said from the back of the shop.

Harry relaxed a little bit, enough to push himself to take a few steps further into the shop. "She?" he asked.

"Dione, yes. She's a two year old ball python, and trust me, there are plenty more dangerous snakes than her in here," the man said. He walked out from behind a tree, and Harry took another step forward to see an open doorway that the tree had kept hidden from the front of the shop.

Harry looked back at the man, who was easily twice as tall as he was. "Which one is the most dangerous, then?" he asked as yet another snake approached him, this one wrapping around his right arm before slithering into his backpack.

The man took a seat on the leather couch and grinned when a large brown and gold snake took up the rest of the couch, resting it's head on his leg. "There's a baby basilisk that no one will take, and she's around here somewhere." He looked around from his spot on the couch as another snake draped around his shoulders. "I'll wager that she's the one in your bag," he said.

Harry froze and moved to take off his backpack but the man shook his head.

"Don't worry; she's not going to hurt you," the man said. "She was brought in here after someone thought it wise to carve out her eyes, which is a travesty. The only thing dangerous about baby girl is her venom."

"Her venom?"

"She has enough venom in one bite to take down an entire legion of men, but she's never shown any inclination to bite someone in the years that she's been here," he said. "If you're still too nervous, then hand the bag here and I'll take her out."

Harry hesitated a moment before walking over and almost hesitantly handing the bag over to the man. He looked around the shop and noticed that the whispers had gotten a bit louder and slightly easier for him to understand.

The man pulled the snake on the couch fully into his lap and motioned at the free space. "Have a seat, kid," he said as he took the bag that Harry was holding out to him.

As soon as he sat down on the couch, the snake in his bag moved out onto the couch and settled herself on Harry's lap. She hissed warningly at the python around Harry's neck and the snake quickly moved off to the back of the couch.

"What's her name?" Harry asked, hesitantly reaching down and petting the basilisk.

"Baby girl's name is Aviva. My name is Cain, for what it's worth," the man said. He looked Harry over while the child payed attention to the snake in his lap. He made an almost disappointed sound in the back of his throat before leaning back on the couch. "And to be honest, kid, you look a bit lost," he said.

Harry hesitated a moment before looking up at Cain, silently inspecting the man. He was still tall sitting down, which was slightly intimidating to the boy, but Harry didn't feel particularly in danger with him. Cain was dark-skinned, and had a shaven head, but he didn't look too old. He rather reminded Harry of some of the University-aged students that used to pick up their younger siblings after school, and he was dressed similarly to them as well - baggy black jeans and an olive green muscle shirt. He looked back up at Cain, who was watching him with concern glinting in his dark eyes. "I'm Harry," he said quietly, looking back down at the basilisk curled up in his lap.

"So, _Harry_," Cain drawled. His eyes momentarily flickered up to the scar on Harry's forehead before he picked up the ball python from the back of the couch and gently stroked her head. "And are you running away from home on your own, or did you not get a choice in the matter?" he asked as the python curled around his hand, flickering her tongue at the larger snake in Cain's lap.

"They ditched me at the airport," Harry muttered, smiling slightly as Aviva draped herself around his shoulders and started inspecting him more thoroughly. "They told me that I was going to go with them on vacation because I was going to carry my cousin's things. We got to the airport and they disappeared." He hesitated a moment. "They didn't come back and I got scared, so I started running," he said quietly.

Cain nodded, saying nothing for a moment.

"I'm not lying," Harry said, looking over at the man.

"I never said you were, kid," he said. He set the python down on the back of the couch and looked over at Harry. "You look too skinny. You want something to eat?" he asked.

He nodded. "Can Aviva stay with me?" Harry asked, suddenly reaching a hand up to pet the basilisk lightly on her head. "Please?"

"Sure, kid," Cain said. He picked up the snake in his lap and stood up, putting the snake on one of the nearby branches. "This way," he said before walking back to the doorway that he'd walked out of a few moments ago.

Harry stood up and followed him, keeping a hand on Aviva's head. Struck with a sudden though, he hurried over to walk next to Cain. He tugged on the hem of the man's shirt as Cain walked through the archway to push open a plain brown door. "Can I stay here and live with you?" he asked.

Cain looked down at him, saying nothing as he looked around the room, which was fashioned to be something of an office. He walked over to the desk and set Harry's bag on top of it before looking back at the boy.

"I'll help you with the snakes as much as I can, and I won't be bad or anything," Harry said.

The older man seemed to think about it for a long moment before pulling on a pair of sneakers and grabbing a zip-up sweatshirt. "Your family really got rid of you? I can't babysit you and then get into trouble for helping you hide," he said.

Harry shook his head as Cain pulled the sweatshirt on. "They never liked me anyway," he replied. "Uncle would beat me when I misbehaved, and he didn't stop my cousin when he beat me." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and glared at the floor. "They always said that I would be better off dead, anyway," he said with a scowl.

"Alright," Cain said. He pulled a zip-up sweater off the coat-rack and offered it to Harry, who shook his head.

"It's warm enough outside without a coat," Harry said.

Cain grinned. "To you, kid, maybe," he said. "But I spend most of my time here and I've gotten used to the almost excessive warmth. You'll get used it too, if you really want to live here with me."

Harry returned the grin. "I do," he said.

Cain nodded. "I'm looking forward to it," he said. "But first, I'm taking you across the courtyard to Pepper's and we'll get something to eat. Aviva's going to have to stay here until we get back," he said. "Folks in the yard don't take kindly seeing a basilisk out in the open."

Harry frowned again, feeling distinctly reluctant to lose contact with Aviva. "If I wear the sweater and she stays hidden, can she stay with me?" he asked.

Cain hesitated a moment before nodding. "Keep her hidden, and I mean it," he said.

Harry nodded and pulled on the sweater, which was far too big for him. He struggled for a moment, but managed after a moment to push his hands out of the sleeves in the sweater.

Cain grinned at the sight. "Do you want pepperoni or cheese pizza?" he asked once Aviva was sufficiently hidden inside the sleeves of the sweater.

"I don't know," Harry said. "I've never had pizza before."

"Really?" Cain asked. He straightened himself a bit before grinning. "Pepper's going to have a field day with you," he said. "Let's go."

And just like that, Harry Potter fell off the map.


	2. Ten Years Later

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

...

Chapter 2: Ten Years Later

...

A chime in the back office pulled Harry away from his studies, and stirred Aviva from her nap. Harry paused a moment - Cain would normally greet the customers who came in during business hours and Harry would continue on with his studies. A second chime sounded and Aviva hissed irritably, not at all pleased with the continued disturbance of her nap.

"Get that one for me, kid!" Cain called. "Bull is giving me trouble!" he yelled, and Harry grinned. The 32 foot anaconda had been giving Cain more than a bit of trouble as of late, and both the snake and Cain were too stubborn to leave well enough alone.

Harry stood up and looked down at his homework while Aviva moved up to loop loosely around his neck. He smiled at the snake before heading out to the main shop and opening the door for the person standing just outside the door.

"I was unaware that it was customary for shops to keep their doors locked," the man said as he walked into the shop.

Harry closed the door behind the man and smiled apologetically. "There have been a number of unwelcome intrusions in the courtyard recently, and the only way to stop the intrusions from disturbing our snakes has been to lock the door," he said.

"I see."

"How can I help you?"

The man's eyes flickered down to Aviva and he adopted a slight smirk when he recognized her species. "The snake around your neck is an exquisite specimen of her kind," he said, taking a step closer to Harry.

An odd glint in the man's eyes had Harry on edge, and he took a step away from the man. "She's not for sale," he said, resting his hand on Aviva's head.

"That is an excellent decision on your part, young man," the man said.

Harry nodded disbelievingly and took his chance to look the man over. He was taller than Cain, with pale skin and he had shoulder length black hair tied back at the nape of his neck. He didn't seem too overly suspicious. In fact, he seemed to blend in almost perfectly with the richer customers in the courtyard, especially with the blatantly expensive robes that the man was wearing. The one thing about the man that stood out about him were his blood-red eyes. The eyes seemed almost familiar and Harry found himself wondering if the man had been in the shop on some previous occasion.

"How old are you?" the man asked, breaking Harry out of his inspection.

"I'm going to be sixteen in a month," he said. "Who are you?" he asked.

The man smirked. "My name is Thomas," he said. "Might I request your name?"

"Harry."

Thomas' eyes lit up in a manner that put Harry completely on edge and he took another step away from the man. He glanced briefly over at the archway that hid the entrance to the larger snake's room, thinking about whether or not he should call Cain to handle the customer.

"Is there something specific that you're looking for, sir? I am on the clock at the moment," he said.

Thomas smirked again, clearly amused with Harry's reaction to him. "You wouldn't happen to have any feeder rabbits for sale at the moment, would you?" he asked. "My supply reached an unfortunate and completely unexpected decrease. My serpent managed to find her way into the room where I keep the rabbits last night and ate seven of the twelve that I had on hand," he said.

Harry's jaw dropped and he momentarily forgot about the way that Thomas put him on edge. "You've got a snake that big?" he asked. A hand landed on his shoulder unexpectedly and Harry jumped slightly, scowling when he heard Cain laughing quietly behind him. "What?" he asked, looking up at the man.

"You tend to forget that I don't let you handle the largest of the snakes in the shop," he said before glancing at Aviva. "Baby girl's going to be massive when she's fully grown, and that's still a few centuries away. You're not yet equipped to be alone with the 20 footers," he said.

"Because Bull is just ever so cooperative with you?" Harry asked, grinning at Cain's scowl. "You know, since he stopped cooperating with you, you've expanded my language in ways that have made even Tobias blush."

Cain's scowl deepened. "Don't you have something else to be doing besides tormenting me?" he asked.

Thomas cleared his throat quietly, directing the attention of both Harry and Cain back onto him. "As loathe as I am to interrupt," he said, his eyes shining with amusement.

Cain nodded, quickly catching the man's train of thought. "Of course. Forgive me, sir. How can I help you?"

"He's looking for feeder rabbits," Harry said before slipping over to the couch. As soon as he sat down, Aviva curled up in his lap and he started petting her head lightly.

"What breed are you looking for, sir?" Cain asked. He looked the man over briefly and a genuine smile came over his face as he seemed to recognize Thomas. "We've got over 50 breeds in stock and ready to go."

"I believe the name of the breed is the German Giant," Thomas said coolly, glancing over at Harry before walking with Cain into the feeder's room, where the rabbits were kept.

Cain looked back at Harry briefly. "I'll be out in a little while. Wait out here and help anyone else who comes inside," he said before disappearing into the feeder's room.

Harry just stared after the two of them, completely bewildered. The german rabbits were well deserving of their names - in the non-magical world, the largest recorded was 23 pounds, but Cain had modified his stock and he was able to produce 30 pound German Giants with relative ease. And any snake that could eat seven of them in one night had to be monstrous.

Aviva was decidedly amused with Harry's reaction to Thomas' statement, though Harry had noticed how defensive she was when Thomas was in the room with her. "_You have been studying your lessons, I assume?_" she asked.

"_Aviva, you and I are never away from each other anymore_," Harry hissed in Parseltongue. "_You know that I have been keeping up my studies_," he said.

The basilisk hissed in amusement before looking up at Harry. "_Then summon me something from the meat room. A small rabbit, perhaps_," she said.

Harry grinned. "_Are you jealous of Thomas' snake?_" he asked. "_You'll be big enough to eat an entire litter of rabbits some day_," he said, summoning a white rabbit from the feeder's room and dropping it onto the couch next to him.

In less than a second, Aviva shot out and sunk her fangs into the rabbit's side. She ate it quickly before settling herself back onto Harry's lap. "_Good child_," she said. "_I do not trust this Thomas. He stared at us far too much_," she hissed.

Ah, one of the few perils of having a basilisk take to you far too well. Since the first hours that Harry had walked into the shop, she had stopped referring to herself and Harry as separate individuals, but rather as "us." More often than not, she would refer to Harry as "child," despite the fact that no one other than Harry seemed to be able to understand her.

Harry grinned again. "_Maybe he just thinks that I am fortunate to enjoy the company of such a beautiful snake_," he said.

"_Child, I am well aware that I am beautiful and I do not need a stranger gawking at me to reaffirm that fact. Do not speak to me while this Thomas is around,_" she said, wrapping herself around Harry's chest, making it extremely difficult to breath.

"_Are you sure you're not a constrictor?_" he hissed irritably, knowing better than to try to peel her off of him.

"_Hush, child. Your gift must remain a secret around those who we cannot trust,_" she warned.

Harry nodded slightly, humming a soft sound of agreement, and Aviva immediately removed herself from around Harry's chest. Harry took a deep breath and poked Aviva warningly just behind her head. "You'll be the death of me one day, I'll have you know," he said.

Aviva hissed in amusement but said nothing. She draped herself on the arm of the sofa next to Harry and watched as the young man decided to practice his wandless summoning.

...

About twenty minutes later, Thomas and Cain walked out of the feeder's room, both of them seeming much more at ease with each other. They both looked over at Harry, who was still sitting on the couch with Aviva. He was summoning rats from the feeding room and tossing them into the air around the shop to see which snake would catch them first.

"That boy of yours is incredible," Thomas said quietly as he watched Harry toss a rat up to an emerald tree boa. "I have never seen a young man with more talent when it comes to dealing with such snakes that you have in this shop."

"Aye, sir," Cain said. "Harry truly has a gift, and he's been a godsend since he started helping me around here."

Harry looked over at them, only noticing then that he was the topic of conversation between the two older men. "No one else came inside," he said, tossing another rat up to the emerald tree boa.

Thomas glanced up at the snake. "You seem to favor that boa," he commented quietly. "What is the reason for that?" he asked.

"Nata's been sick for a while," Harry said. "He's not going to be in the shop much longer, and he deserves to be spoiled before he dies," he said, looking up at the snake before returning his gaze over to Thomas.

Thomas frowned slightly, glancing up at the snake again momentarily. He looked over at Cain a moment later. "Bring him with you when you deliver the serpents this evening," he said, sounding oddly like he was ordering Cain around.

Cain nodded silently and Harry watched the interaction, not sure what to think of Cain's willingness to take orders from this man. "If I come with Cain, could I see the snake that ate the rabbits?" he asked.

Thomas smiled genuinely at Harry. "If Cain grants you permission, it would be my pleasure to show you the snake," he said before looking at Cain. "The wards in the Manor will allow you entrance between six thirty and seven o'clock only, so do not be late," he said before nodding a farewell to Cain and walking out of the shop.

Once the door had shut behind Thomas, Harry looked up at Cain. "You know Thomas?" he asked.

"He's a very old friend of mine," Cain replied vaguely. "I haven't seen him in - fuck, it's got to have been twenty years or so."

"But you only turned thirty last month," Harry said. Aviva wrapped herself around his left arm and Harry stood up. He looked over at Nata and smiled a bit at the snake before looking at Cain.

His guardian nodded. "I met him when I was about seven years old, and you might say that we hit it off rather well, especially since we've been friendly ever since." He paused. "Well, at least as close as one gets to being friendly with Thomas, anyhow," he muttered.

Knowing well when to change the subject, Harry walked with Cain toward the back of the shop, in front of the doors leading to the office and the office. "When are the massive bunny crates getting delivered to Thomas?" he asked.

"Tonight," Cain said. "We're going to leave at six thirty this evening, so make sure that you're ready to go by then," he said. "And make sure that you've finished all your assignments. You know better than I do how Toby gets when you haven't finished your homework between lessons."

"I finished it all about an hour and a half before Thomas came in," Harry replied, grinning as he remembered the last fit that Toby had thrown about an incomplete assignment. Cain had needed to put out three fires in the kitchen before the man had finished his tantrum, and it was later that afternoon that Cain had decided to fireproof the entire flat above the shop. "What about Aviva?" Harry asked.

"What about her?"

"Will she be able to come with us to Thomas' home tonight?" he asked.

Cain grinned. "Kid, I haven't been able to pry the two of you apart since you first came into my shop. I very much doubt that either of you are going to make an exception after a decade of whatever the hell it is that you share with that snake."

"_Not bloody likely_," Aviva hissed, and Harry laughed quietly.

Cain huffed, likely gathering the gist of what Aviva had said. He motioned to the door hiding the entrance to the larger snakes, sighing quietly. "I'm going to go back in there for another few hours."

"What's wrong with Bull, anyway?" Harry asked. "I know he's one of the oldest snakes here, and he hasn't been anything by cooperative since I've been here."

"Remember the last time that the Light wizards raided here, looking for some sign that we're doing something illegal?" Cain asked.

Harry nodded. "Despite the fact that they were out of their jurisdiction and the practice of Dark magic isn't an issue in the courtyard?" he asked.

Cain nodded. "One of the more idiotic of the wizards thought that Bull was going to kill him, when in reality, he was going after one of the squirrels that I set loose in the mornings. So he sent a Burning Hex onto Bull, and now the 32 foot snake has 19 feet of burned and agitated skin. He's in agony and I can't heal his wounds with magic, so Bull is rightly furious that I haven't been able to ease his pain all that much," he said. "The Healing Salve is going to take another ten hours before it really starts working, and until then, he's suffering the constant sensation of his skin being on fire."

Harry winced and glanced at the door. "And you're sure that there's nothing that I can do to help?" he asked.

"I'm not even going to think about putting you into that kind of situation, kid," Cain said. "Go back to your studies, or something. Keep both yourself and the basilisk out of trouble."

Harry hesitated a moment but nodded, heading into the office. He made himself comfortable in the office chair and read his book for about half an hour longer before he went up to his bedroom to read his book.

...

Later that night, around six twenty, Cain walked into Harry's bedroom on the second floor of the shop and found him laying on his bed, reading one of his favorite books, while a number of snakes lay sprawled over the rest of the king size mattress. Some of them had settled on top of the open books littering the mattress and others rested against Harry's side, while only Aviva had gone far enough to drape herself over Harry's upper body as he read. After watching the young man for a moment, Cain walked over at tugged on a locke of Harry's shoulder-blade length hair.

"Mmm?" Harry asked, blinking up at Cain and yawning a bit. He pushed silver-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose and stared at Cain. "What?" he asked.

"I thought you didn't need glasses anymore," Cain commented.

Harry shrugged. "Tobias told me that the spell he used would work, but it would take time to completely correct my vision," he said. "It doesn't happen too often that I need the glasses, so I'm not worried about it."

"I'll talk to Toby about that the next time that he comes over," Cain said. "Now, if you're really intent on joining me in Thomas' Manor, I suggest that you be ready to go in the next five minutes," he said, smirking as Harry moved slowly to get out of his bed without disturbing any of the snakes sleeping on his bed.

Aviva wound herself around his arm again as Harry made his way over to his closet, looking for some clean clothes to wear. He settled on a pair of black jeans and a dark green button-down shirt.

Cain grinned when he noticed the shirt. "That wouldn't happen to be the thing that Toby gave you for holiday this year?" he asked, and Harry nodded as he pulled it on. "You must really want to impress Thomas."

Harry flushed a bright red, and he pulled the shirt on, saying nothing for a moment. "It seems like Thomas is kind of an important guy, and I don't want to damage the shop's reputation by showing up looking like a muggle thug," he said, smirking at Cain's choice in attire - the man had refused to change out of his usual outfit of a muscle shirt and baggy jeans.

"You aren't going to damage anything, kid," Cain said. "Besides, you see any holes in these jeans? I am dressed up. Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Harry nodded and moved to stand next to Cain. He glanced down at Aviva, making sure that she was wrapped securely around his arm and shoulder. "Ready when you are," he said.

Cain nodded. "Hold still," he said, putting his hand on Harry's right shoulder. With a loud pop, they disappeared.

...

They reappeared just a second later in the entrance of a Manor.

From what Harry could see of the Manor, it looked simple enough - the walls were a dark mahogany color, and there were two landscape portraits hanging in the hallway.

"Is this Thomas' home?" Harry asked. Aviva shifted on his shoulder, and he reached up a hand to pet her head in an attempt to comfort her. She'd never been particularly fond of Cain's favorite method of traveling, and this time was no exception.

"It is," Thomas said as he walked into the hall and looked at the two of them. "And I welcome both of you here," he said.

Cain bowed his head slightly as Thomas approached him.

The man seemed to appreciate this gesture, and he smirked at Cain. "If the two of you will follow me, I will take you to see my serpent," he said.

A grin took over Harry's face and he seemed unable to get rid of it as he almost bounced behind Thomas. The man led him and Cain through a number of halls and up two flights of stairs. He finally opened the door to reveal an exquisite suite with a bed in the center of the room. A fire was raging in the fireplace, and there was a large window on the far side of the room letting in the light from the setting sun.

When Harry finally noticed the snake, his jaw dropped.

She was beautiful and huge - taking up the entire king-size bed that she was on and then some.

Thomas walked over to Harry and put a hand on the small of Harry's back, ignoring the way that Aviva tensed around Harry's shoulder and readied herself to strike at him. "Harry," he said. "This is Nagini."


	3. Royal Serpent

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

...

Chapter 3: Royal Serpent

...

As soon as Thomas introduced her, the snake stirred. She lifted her head up and looked over at the group of men standing just inside the doorway. Thomas made a noise in the back of his throat and the snake moved swiftly over to his side.

Aviva tightened around Harry's arm as the snake called Nagini drew closer to them, not quite sure what to think of the situation at hand.

"Be polite, kid," Cain said as Harry continued to stare open-mouthed in awe at Nagini, completely ignoring Thomas for the moment.

Harry frowned slightly as he stared at the snake. He seemed almost to recognize her name from somewhere, but he couldn't place exactly where he'd heard it. He'd think about it later, and he'd have to figure it out soon, otherwise he knew it would bother him until he did. A brief moment of silence passed and Harry flushed a bright red. He looked over at Thomas. "I apologize," he said. "I didn't mean to stare," he said quietly.

Thomas smirked. "It doesn't bother me," he said. "People tend to stare at Nagini when they are first introduced to her, though I do find it rather odd that you are not afraid of her. Her size alone is often enough to have most grown men quaking in their boots." He looked over at Nagini. "It isn't all that common to see a 52 foot snake, so I'm told."

"She is the biggest snake that I've ever seen, but why should I be afraid of her?" Harry asked. "Aviva is the only snake that I'm afraid of. She's the first one who's shown me that she'd kill me without regret, but she's protected me from the few other snakes who have tried to harm me in the shop," he said. He turned to look back at Nagini, frowning as he looked over her black and green scales. She looked evenly back at him, and Harry was slightly shocked to see that her eyes were black, and her slitted pupils were a bright green. "I've never seen a snake with her scale patterns. What kind of snake is Nagini, if you don't mind my asking?" he asked curiously, looking back at Thomas.

The man looked back down at Harry, smirking slightly. "She is a species unto herself, but the closest species to her kind would be the Pit Viper," he said, resting his hand on Nagini's head before returning his red eyes to Harry.

Harry, for his part, shifted uncomfortably under the man's gaze and settled for looking back at Nagini. He said nothing for a moment, and took a half a step away from Thomas so that the man removed his hand from the small of Harry's back.

Thomas straightened himself and looked over at Cain. "I must speak with you in private," he said before glancing over at Harry again. "You are more than welcome to remain here with Nagini while Cain and I conduct our conversation. Nagini knows better than to harm those whom I have welcomed into my home," he said, tapping the snake's head sharply as he spoke.

"Cain?" Harry asked, looking over at Cain. "May I stay here?"

Cain shifted uncomfortably under the gazes of both Thomas and Harry, glancing nervously at Nagini before speaking. "Given that my business with Master Thomas is best kept confidential, I think that would be best, as long as you are not harmed while you're in here." He looked over at Thomas. "I trust your word that he will be safe, sir, but Pit Vipers make me nervous."

Thomas looked down at Nagini. "She will not harm the boy or his snake," he said coolly.

Cain nodded. "Then I will follow you, sir, whenever you're ready."

Thomas smirked slightly and motioned at the door to the room. He watched as Cain walked out before turning his attention back onto Harry. "Make yourself comfortable here, Harry," he said, his voice little more than a purr.

Harry nodded and, noticing that Aviva was preparing to strike out at Thomas, put his hand on the top of her head to stop her. "Thank you," he said.

With another smirk, Thomas left the room. As soon as the door shut quietly behind him, Harry took a few steps further into the room.

Aviva relaxed a bit once she was sure that Thomas was no longer in the room, and she moved to drape herself loosely over Harry's shoulders and around his throat while Harry and Nagini just watched each other. "_Do not speak to this Nagini until I tell you that it is safe enough for you to do so_," she said.

Harry nodded, silently acknowledging Aviva's instructions before looking back over at Nagini. She'd apparently grown tired of inspecting Harry and had moved back to her perch on the bed. He took a few steps toward the bed but stopped short once he noticed the massive viper watching his every move.

Aviva once again tensed and she lifted her head off of Harry's shoulder. "_She is royalty_," she hissed almost nervously. "_Bow to her_," she instructed.

Harry did as told, bowing slightly to Nagini, who lifted her head and hissed at him in amusement.

"_How peculiar_," she hissed, her voice echoing slightly throughout the room. Her tongue flickered in and out rapidly as she slowly moved over and surround Harry and Aviva with her coils. "_It is extremely rare that I encounter someone who knows how to properly greet me,_" she said.

Harry just watched her for a moment, not sure how to respond. He settled for shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and stared at the floor.

Aviva watched warily as Nagini lifted her head up so that she was about eye to eye with Harry. "_Don't move, child_," she hissed into Harry's ear, tickling his ear and making him jerk his head away from her at the sensation.

Nagini turned a glare onto Aviva and she opened her mouth a bit, warningly baring fangs that were easily the length of Harry's forearm. "_You speak out of line, little one_," she hissed. "_Do it again and you will not live to see your human leave the room,_" she hissed, briefly glancing up at Harry.

He flinched, not sure what to do. Aviva raised up slightly in an attempt to appear more threatening than she was, and Harry did his best to ignore the urge to put a considerable amount of distance between Nagini and himself. The basilisk lifted up her head and bared her fangs, doing a decent job of hiding the fact that she was blind.

Nagini seemed to know the reason behind Aviva's behavior, and she looked over at the basilisk. "_I made a promise to my human that I wouldn't harm either of you during your visit this evening, little one, and I will not break that promise_," she hissed reassuringly. "_However, if you speak out of line again, I will find this shop that you live in and I will devour you in your sleep_," she hissed. As Aviva closed her mouth and nodded her head a bit, Nagini tightened her coils around Harry, successfully cutting off any chance he had of escaping.

Harry looked over at Nagini, scowling lightly when he noticed her almost smug expression at having stopped him from retreating. He glanced down at his shoes and then at the massive coils of green and black scales surrounding him before looking back at Nagini. Without warning, she hissed and shoved her head roughly against Harry's chest, knocking him back onto the ground against her coils. Immediately after that, she lifted her head above his and inspected him more closely, her tongue rapidly flickering in and out.

Aviva waited, poised on Harry's shoulder and ready to strike if she felt that Harry was in any sort of danger, but she said nothing until Nagini moved her head away from Harry.

Apparently satisfied that Harry was relatively harmless to her, Nagini turned her focus onto Aviva. "_You cannot see me, little one, can you_?" she asked.

"_My eyes were stolen from me, but I am still able to see_," Aviva hissed cryptically. She loosened herself from around Harry's neck and rested almost entirely on his shoulder and chest.

Harry scowled down at Aviva, but she just ignored him as she deliberately kept him where he was, preventing him from moving more than a few inches. He glared at the basilisk but made no complaint, choosing instead to relax as much as he could and doing his best to avoid thinking about the fact that Nagini could easily devour both Aviva and himself without leaving so much as a hair behind. He leaned back and closed his eyes, listening to Nagini and Aviva's conversation.

...

At the end of the evening, around midnight, Harry drifted awake when Nagini's coils rippled underneath him. He opened his eyes to see Nagini and Aviva still in the midst of conversation. Aviva was still resting on top of Harry's chest, and though there was still a slight air of tension in the room, it was considerably less tense than it had been when the two snakes had first started talking.

After a moment, Nagini noticed that Harry was waking up and she rippled her coils again.

Harry smiled slightly, purring at the sensation.

Nagini hissed quietly and moved her head a bit closer to Harry. "_I know you can understand what I say, boy-child,_" she said, her voice once again echoing slightly throughout the room.

"_He is mine,_" Aviva hissed suddenly, looking more territorial than Harry had seen her in quite a while. She readied herself to strike out at Nagini, but hesitated when Harry reached up and put his hand on her head to stop the attack.

"_I am not planning on taking him from you, little one_," Nagini replied, sounding more than slightly amused at the thread. "_The one that I have to watch over already is almost more than I can handle sometimes,_" she said.

Aviva hesitated briefly, but Nagini's answer seemed to momentarily placate her.

"_I merely wish to speak with yours for a moment._" She looked back over at Harry, who had yet to move from his makeshift bed against her coils. "_Do you know why I wish to speak with you, boy-child?_" she asked.

Harry shook his head slightly, ignoring the fact that, by doing so, he was deliberately going against Aviva's instructions to remain silent.

Nagini seemed almost to smirk, and she let out a satisfied hiss, slightly loosening her hold on Harry. "_You smell very much like my human, the man who you call Thomas_," she said.

Harry opened his mouth and started to respond to Nagini's suggestion, but Aviva curled tightly around his throat, completely cutting off his ability to speak - or even breathe properly. He reached up to peel her away from his throat, and just as he managed to loosen her enough that he could breathe, the door to the room opened.

"Well," Thomas said as he and Cain walked into the room. He took in the picture before him and smirked slightly. "This is something that I hadn't expected to see."

Harry stood up suddenly, almost tripping over Nagini's coils in his rush to get back on his feet. He looked over the two of them - Cain looked a bit rumpled, and there was an oddly worn out glint in his eyes, while Thomas seemed particularly pleased with himself. "I didn't mean to overstep my bounds, sir," Harry said, looking over at Thomas.

"You didn't," the man said. "Though I have yet to see Nagini take so quickly to someone other than myself.

"_Jealousy is not a good look for you,_" Nagini hissed as she moved back to the bed and re-established herself on the mattress.

Harry did his best to hide his grin at the statement, though judging by the odd look that Thomas sent his way, he didn't do too well. "Did you get enough rabbits, sir?" he asked.

Thomas nodded. "Cain and I have settled our business for now, but I expect I'll be back in the shop before long," he said, sending a glare to a completely unresponsive Nagini.

"We look forward to seeing you again, then, sir," Cain muttered, staring intently at the floor in front of him before glancing up at Harry. "Are you ready to go, kid?" he asked. His voice was noticeably more hoarse than it had been earlier that evening.

Harry frowned slightly but said nothing - he'd try to get some answers from Cain when they were back in the shop. "I guess," he said.

Nagini shifted on the bed, collecting the attention of the three men and the basilisk in the room. "_Do not insult me by leaving without a proper farewell, boy-child_," she hissed, though an amused lilt had crept into her voice. "_I might be the type of serpent to hold a grudge_."

Harry turned to face Nagini and bowed slightly to her, biting back the muttered Parseltongue farewell that he knew the viper wanted to hear from him. Aviva slapped her tail against Harry's ear and he straightened himself, turning back to Thomas and Cain.

Thomas stared unblinkingly at him, and for a moment, Harry felt oddly like Thomas was a snake himself, cornering Harry and getting ready to strike at him.

"Thank you for letting me see Nagini and stay here while you conducted your business with Cain, sir," he said in an attempt to break the man's focus.

It worked. "It was my pleasure," the man said as he held the door open.

Cain trudged out and both Aviva and Harry eyed him suspiciously as they followed him out of the room.

Thomas led them back through the Manor to the front hall that they'd appeared hours ago. "The wards will allow you to Apparate out within the next ten minutes only," he murmured, once again watching Harry almost predatorily.

Harry cleared his throat and looked at Thomas, fully meeting the red eyes staring at him. "Would it be possible for me to see Nagini again sometime?" he asked.

Thomas hummed in his throat quietly before smirking. "You are more than welcome to return and visit Nagini again," he replied. "As long as Cain grants you permission to visit and I know that you're coming, my door will always be open to you."

Harry smiled and nodded. "Thank you, sir," he said.

Cain draped his arm around Harry's shoulders and looked down at him, pointedly ignoring Thomas' presence. "You remember how to do the side-long Apparating, right?" he asked quietly.

"Sure I do," Harry said. "Why?"

Cain glanced up at Thomas, whose eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "You're going to practice now," he said. "I think working with Bull took more out of me than I first thought it did," he added.

Harry nodded and made sure that both Cain and Aviva were close enough for him to successfully transport without splinching. He looked back at Thomas. "I look forward to seeing you back in the shop again, sir," he said.

Thomas nodded. "Until then," he said before turning and walking away.

Harry watched him go for a moment before focusing on the flat above the shop and Apparating himself - and Cain and Aviva - back to the sitting room in the flat.


	4. Concern

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

...

Chapter 4: Concern

...

Harry stared blankly at the wall next to Tobias' head as he fidgeted on the couch. He was doing his best to focus on what Tobias was trying to explain to him - the war in their country was quickly invading the courtyard, and it would be impossible for Harry to avoid it forever. To even think about doing so was just plain stupid, according to Tobias, and it was looking increasingly likely that the British Ministry would send out a draft for young witches and wizards capable of dueling in battles. Harry nodded slightly when Tobias mentioned something about a Dark Lord and an old man, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from thinking about Cain's behavior the previous night.

After they'd gotten back into the sitting room, Cain had deliberately avoided talking with Harry, choosing instead to disappear almost immediately into his bedroom.

...

He walked slowly through the halls, like he was either extremely tired or in an incredible amount of pain, and Harry quietly followed him, both curious and concerned as to the reason behind Cain's behavior.

Cain, for his part, had done an excellent job of ignoring the fact that Harry was traipsing along behind him. He kicked his bedroom door halfway shut and gingerly pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a disturbing latticework of gashes on his back. Blood was still dripping from the deepest of the cuts, and Harry hadn't been able to stop himself from gasping in shot at the sight. Cain slowly turned around at the sound, and he looked at Harry through tired black eyes.

"What the hell happened to you?" Harry asked, unable to stop himself from asking the question.

Cain remained silent for a moment, walking over to the doorframe and leaning heavily on it.

Harry paused, letting himself look at the medley of wounds on Cain's torso before looking back up at Cain. "What the hell happened to you?" Harry asked again.

"You don't need to worry about anything," Cain said quietly. "I've had worse injuries than this in the past and I've survived them."

Harry hesitated before taking a step forward and cautiously touching a large yellowish bruise on Cain's chest, not missing the flinch that the brief contact produced. "But you're covered in bruises and still bleeding," he said. "Heal yourself, before too much damage is done."

Cain frowned, gently pushing Harry's hand away from him. He carefully pulled on a hoodie, hissing lightly when the fabric dragged over his wounds, and escorted Harry across the flat to his bedroom, deliberately ignoring the way that Aviva readied herself to strike at him when Harry resisted the hold Cain had on his upper arm. "I don't expect you're going to butt out of this, knowing your habit of feeding your every curiosity, but I will tell you not to asked about this again," he said quietly. "I've survived worse, and I will likely survive the same in the future. Try not to worry about a few scratches that I occasionally pick up."

"This is more than just a few scratches," Harry said.

A brief silence passed between the two of them, and both Harry and Cain watched as Aviva slid fluidly off of Harry's chest to chase away the few snakes still lounging on Harry's bed. Harry smirked when she threatened one of the cobras enough for the larger snake to puff up and attempt to strike her. The cobra missed, but Harry's focus was brought back to Cain when he felt the man release his hold on his arm.

"Did Thomas did do that to you?" Harry asked suddenly.

Cain's eyes flashed warningly and Harry looked down at the floor. "I'm going to go to sleep," he said. "I don't expect you to do the same, but until you do, please try not to make too much noise."

Harry nodded and said nothing further.

Cain turned around and headed back toward his bedroom.

"Cain," Harry said suddenly, looking up at his surrogate older brother. "If you were in trouble, would you tell me?" he asked.

Cain turned a bit, leaning heavily on the doorframe of his bedroom. "Trust me, kid," he said with a weak smile. "If we were in trouble, I'd let you know," he muttered. He walked further into his bedroom and pulled off the hoodie, nudging the door shut with his foot.

...

The next morning around half past nine, Harry walked into Cain's bedroom to find the older man still asleep. He was sprawled face-down on top of his blankets, and he still had yet to heal his wounds.

Harry frowned, taking a deep breath to gather his focus. A brief spark of white energy flitted at the tips of his fingertips of his left hand before disappearing, and Harry traced the edges of the wounds on Cain's back.

It took almost twenty minutes, but Cain stirred as the last of his wounds closed and healed themselves. He opened his eyes slightly and looked over at Harry. "What's going on, kid?" he asked.

"It's nine thirty," Harry said. "You've normally been up for at least two hours by now, but I guess the blood loss was a bit more than you would've expected."

Cain glared at Harry, who completely ignored him.

"Apart from that, Pepper came over about an hour ago," he said.

"What did that harpy want?" Cain asked irritably, slowly sitting up.

Harry grinned. "She mentioned that certain external forces have been deliberately fucking with the courtyard," he said. "There's a nasty thunderstorm brewing outside, and it's upsetting some of the snakes."

"So close the shop for the day," Cain said.

"I did," Harry said. He crossed his arms over his chest almost nervously and watched Cain for a long moment. "The larger snakes are particularly anxious, since they're also worried about you," he said. "Aviva's in with them, doing her best to calm them down, but none of them are all that keen on listening to her without you showing up to prove that you're alright and she's not lying."

"They seem awful worried about someone who can't even speak the same language," Cain replied. He stood up and walked over to his closet, looking for a clean shirt to wear. "They didn't hurt you, though, did they?" he asked

Harry nodded. "I'm fine," he said. "And the larger snakes have a lot of respect for you. They don't like it that you came home smelling like blood. Again."

A comfortable silence settled between them as Cain pulled on a blue shirt. Harry summoned a cup of coffee for the both of them.

Cain nodded his thanks. "Was there something else?" he asked when he noticed Harry watching him almost expectantly.

"Tobias is on his way over," Harry said quietly. "He made a point to call ahead this time," he added.

"Really?" Cain asked with a scowl. "That is ... unlike him."

Harry hesitated a moment. "He mentioned that he wanted to make sure that you were presentable for him when he arrived," he said before walking out of Cain's bedroom to find Aviva.

...

Tobias watched Harry stare blankly at the book in front of him. "Harry?" he asked quietly, already well aware that the young man wasn't paying the least bit of attention to him. "Harry, what I'm trying to teach you is very important, as we both live in Britain and the war will eventually force it's way into your courtyard," he said.

Nothing. Not even a twitch from his student.

"Harry?" Tobias leaned further back into the armchair. He looked over at Harry, wondering how he would react if Tobias deliberately broke one of their little unspoken rules.

Still no response.

"Harry, I have decided to undergo a sex change operation, seduce Cain, and then, once he's out of the picture, you and I will elope and run away to Jamaica for the rest of our lives," he said with a smirk.

"Don't be stupid," Harry said vaguely, slowly emerging from his daze. "Cain doesn't sleep with women."

Tobias' smirk grew more self-satisfied as Harry's brow furrowed and he scowled lightly.

Harry looked up at Tobias and frowned. "What the hell are you going on about?" he asked. "I thought this was supposed to be one of our lessons," he said irritably.

Tobias leaned forward in his chair, baring slightly sharpened canines. "When are you going to learn, little boy, that when I take time out of my extremely busy schedule to continue to teach you, it is within your best interests to devote your attention to me?" he asked. His eyes flashed slightly when he noticed Harry bristling at his least favorite pet name.

"Toby, stop filling the kid's head with bullshit!" Cain shouted from his bedroom across the hall.

"It's not bullshit!" Tobias yelled back. "I could have been teaching three other students in two different countries today!"

"And yet," Cain said, coming to stand in the doorway of room. "You came here, to our humble courtyard, to teach the one student that you rave about."

Aviva shifted slightly from her spot on the couch next to Harry, moving to rest her head on his thigh, but neither of them said anything.

Tobias turned a venomous smirk onto Cain, who returned it with a hard glare and a rude gesture. "Harry has surpassed all of my expectations. He's completely most of his studies far better and far quicker than I expected him to. I come to make sure that he does not slack off in his studies before his final exams," he snapped. "Though this time, I came mostly to check on your health and well-being," he said, standing up and stepping toward Cain.

Cain just glared at Tobias. "Why would you be concerned about my health and well-being?" he asked, his voice little more than a growl.

"A little birdie informed me that you were visited by an old friend," Tobias purred, stroking clawed fingernails along Cain's jawline.

Harry noticed the room get incredibly more tense and decided that it was time for him to leave. He picked up Aviva and slipped out of the room, sitting in the hallway outside the room.

"That little birdie should know when to keep her mouth shut," Cain snapped.

Tobias let out an animalistic snarl and shoved Cain against the wall behind him, pressing his forearm roughly against the darker man's throat. "You and I both know how dangerous this game is," he snarled. "You knew who he was looking for, and yet when the boy waltzed into your shop on his own, you thought it would be a good idea to hide the kid away from the world and keep him here!"

Harry paused, glancing down at Aviva.

"_They are speaking about you, child,_" she said, almost as though she knew what he was thinking. "_Pay attention._"

A muffled coughing sound from the room pulled Harry's attention back to the interaction between his guardian and his tutor.

"You and I both know what would have happened if he'd found the kid before he was able to defend himself," Cain snapped.

"You have gotten far too compassionate over just one boy."

Cain laughed lowly. "You care for the boy as well, and sometimes more than I do," he said. "If you wish to save yourself the punishment for knowingly keeping the boy alive and safely out of his grasp, then go take his head off and present it to the man yourself," he snapped.

A moment of silence passed between them and Harry took a step away from the wall where he'd been eavesdropping. The soft chime of the doorbell sounded from the stairs and he made his way down, ignoring the continued arguing from the room upstairs and the fretting of the snakes that weren't all that fond of the weather outside.

"_I'm opening the door for a moment_," he said as Aviva settled over his shoulders, resting her head on the top of his. "_There will be some wind, but the shop is protected from anything else._"

"_The young ones are not fond of the thunder, and the larger ones aren't making it any easier, as they are still worried about Cain,_" Aviva said quietly as Harry walked over to the door. "_Bull is particularly concerned, given his lack of cooperation with Cain lately._"

Harry nodded slightly and opened the door enough for the person outside to step into the shop.

Thomas smiled at Harry as the young man closed the door behind him. He brushed an invisible piece of lint off of his robes. "Good afternoon, Harry,"he said as he waved a hand over himself to get rid of any charms he had to dispel the bad weather.

Harry smiled slightly. "How can I help you?" he asked.

"Is Cain available at the moment?" Thomas asked, glancing around the store before turning his gaze back onto Harry.

The snakes surrounding him seemed to calm down as Thomas walked further into the store, Harry noted. "He's upstairs, talking to Tobias about something," he said. "I don't think he'll take much longer, though."

A loud thud sounded upstairs and Cain walked out of the office a moment later, sporting a split lip. "I'm right here," he said. "Harry, could you make sure that Toby finds his way out of the shop?" he asked.

Harry nodded, glancing briefly over at Thomas before turning and making his way upstairs.

Tobias was leaning against the door to Cain's bedroom, touching his newly bloodied nose and looking almost confused as to how it got that way. "Cain has a customer?" he asked.

"Thomas came back, and he asked to speak with Cain," Harry said. "Cain wants you to leave."

Tobias grinned, licking the blood off his lips. "Of course he does." He took Harry's hand in his and led the younger boy downstairs. "I'm going to pretend that you are a polite young man who knows better than to eavesdrop on a private conversation, no matter how loud said conversation is, but you and I both know you better than that," he said, looking over at Thomas as he led Harry past him and Cain. He smirked when he noticed Thomas' eyes narrow slightly at the sight of their intertwined hands, but hid it well.

"What are you getting at?" Harry asked when he and Tobias stood just in front of the front door of the shop.

"I want you to watch yourself around Thomas," he said. "Be careful to take note of Cain's behavior around the man." He put his hand on the door handle and leaned down so that his ear was about level with Harry's ear. "Thomas is much more than he appears, little one," he said so that only Harry could hear him. He smiled a bit before pressing a kiss to Harry's cheek.

Harry said nothing.

Clearing his throat a bit, Tobias straightened himself. "I'll return in one month's time with a proctor to administer your final exams, and I expect you to pass all of them without much difficulty," he said, making sure that Thomas and Cain could hear him from the back room without straining themselves.

"I'll see you in a month, then," Harry said.

"Of course, I might drop by before then just to make sure that you aren't slacking off in any of your studies," he said. He pulled the door open and looked outside. "Such lovely weather," he said with a grin before heading out into the downpour, whistling slightly.

Harry smirked a bit and shut the door behind Tobias, heading back into the office, where Thomas and Cain were waiting.


	5. Poached with Bruschetta

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

...

Chapter 5: Poached with Bruschetta

...

Once Harry had made himself comfortable in one of the large leather armchairs in the office and Aviva had settled herself on his lap, Cain was the first to speak. "What exactly did he mean, your final exams?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Tobias said that I finished learning everything that he had to teach me within the past month, and he decided during our lesson three days ago that he would make me take the official exams so that I have the proper credentials outside of the courtyard," Harry replied. "That way, whenever I go into the real world, I would have the proof that I know what I'm talking about and people won't be so quick to treat me like an idiot. He also mentioned something about not wanting to deal with a toy that was utterly uneducated."

"A toy?" Cain asked irritably, arching an eyebrow suspiciously.

Harry grinned. "You know how he is. Whatever creatures contributed to his heritage only made him more perverted. Besides, back when you told him that I'm not blood related to you, he took that as something of a statement granting him permission at me," he said. "He keeps telling me that he'll secret me away to some tropical island and keep me forever in a constant state of pleasurable delusion."

Thomas shifted in his spot, barely hiding a furious expression. "You've spent the past number of years receiving your education from a pedophile?" he asked.

Cain shook his head. "He's an idiot, but he's not that messed up. He's into consensual sex with whoever is willing enough to let him into their bed," he said.

"And since I'm not of legal age and therefore technically unable to consent, he's abided by one rule." Harry said.

"What rule might that be?" Thomas asked, glancing over at Cain before focusing his attention entirely onto Harry.

"Look, talk, flirt, and promise an entirely unwanted future, but don't touch," Harry said. "Apart from his rule, I doubt he would have tried anything too drastic, since Aviva has never trusted him," he added.

"_The behavior he exhibits when he is supposed to be teaching my child is despicable_," she hissed, wrapping her tail loosely around Harry's right forearm. "_Had he laid so much as a finger with ill intent on my childe, the man would have been dead before he blinked_."

Thomas smirked slightly, and his expression lightened slightly as he turned to look at Cain more fully. "If you've got the time, I would like to talk to you about some somewhat sensitive issues," he said. At Cain's nod, Thomas glanced back over at Harry. "You are more than welcome to join this discussion, if you so desire," he said. "Though the things that are discussed will need to remain in this shop," he added.

Harry nodded slightly. "I know when to keep my mouth shut, sir," he said.

Thomas glanced down at Harry's lap, where Aviva was resting comfortably. "I'm sure you do," he said, a purr in his voice.

Cain straightened himself, garnering the attention of both Thomas and Harry. "Why don't we have this discussion after a short lunch?" he suggested.

...

About half an hour later, the three of them had finished off the remains of a dinner that Harry and Cain had shared a few nights ago - an Australian poached rabbit with bruschetta that Cain was especially proud of having cooked without burning. Both Cain and Thomas seemed more at ease with each other, and the quiet, casual conversation that took place seemed to flow more smoothly.

As Harry took the dishes into the kitchen and charmed them clean, Thomas started speaking with Can about what he'd been doing for that past two decades, though a number of events were clearly watered down while Harry was listening.

Once he'd cleaned up the dishes, Harry took a seat on the couch next to Thomas. He was doing his best to pay attention to what he and Cain were discussing, as Aviva had advised him before she'd left the room. Thomas made her feel particularly uncomfortable, despite the opposite effect that he had on the other snakes in the shop and, to a certain extent, on Harry himself. The longer he sat next to Thomas, though, the harder it was for him to focus on the conversation, as he seemed more inclined to make himself comfortable on the couch. He slid slightly closer to Thomas, leaning slightly against the man as Thomas and Cain continued on in their conversation.

Cain glanced over at Harry curiously when he noticed the younger man shift a bit to lean more fully against Thomas, but he said nothing of it and he turned his focus back onto his conversation with Thomas.

They were speaking about something that happened in the early 1980's, and as Harry listened, he found it increasingly more boring. Without thinking, he dropped his head onto Thomas' shoulder and closed his eyes.

...

When he opened his eyes again, quickly waking up from his spontaneous cat-nap, Harry found that he'd curled up on the couch so that his side was just about flush against Thomas' side. His head was still resting on Thomas' shoulder. Somewhere during the conversation, Thomas had draped an arm around Harry's shoulders and was playing with the ends of Harry's hair.

The conversation had moved onto something increasingly more interesting than the global population of Muggles. It had something to do with a family manor, and Harry quickly gathered the conclusions that he'd missed out on while he was asleep.

"How would you work your way into the Manor, though?" Cain asked, pulling Harry's attention back to the conversation at hand. "Given the publicity that the brat and his grandmother have grown to enjoy during his life, what with numerous contributions to the Ministry and the fact that he is getting ready to start his second to last year at Hogwarts, the Longbottom hag will have, no doubt, increased the strength of the wards on her property." He paused. "Her grandson is her only remaining claim to fame, and she's not going to give him up easily."

"I am well aware of that, Cain," Thomas murmured. "I had not expected it to be anything less than a challenge, but the only obstacle is getting inside."

"I don't understand," Cain said. "Given his reputation -"

"It is nothing more than a rigorous and very skilled publicist, I assure you," Thomas said with a cold smirk. "The past years have proven that the boy is all but incompetent when he is forced to use his magic against me. Not only is he kept abhorrently untrained, he is little more than a Squib," he said. "The difficulty has always been in getting him away from either his grandmother or his handler. The old man is not letting anyone near the brat without going through a number of precautionary deterrents," he snapped, tugging rather harshly on a lock of Harry's hair.

"You're strong enough to get through those deterrents, though," Cain mentioned almost casually.

"I am well aware of that, Cain," Thomas said. "But there are still a number of consequences that I don't want to risk facing at the moment. Of course, the sooner I get rid of the pest, the sooner I'm able to finish this for good and fix this complete mess that the bumbling idiot has made our world," Thomas hissed.

Harry glanced up at Thomas, making sure he didn't move from his spot on the couch. "What about going in through the graveyard? When he's at his family home?" he asked quietly.

Cain jumped slightly and looked over at Harry. "Nice of you to finally join the conversation, kid," he said, earning a chuckle from Thomas.

"I doubt very much that the supposed Saviour of our world or his grandmother will have maintained the proper upkeep of their family graveyard. Death is something that those called 'Light wizards' do not address when it isn't absolutely necessary that they do so," Thomas said. "Even when they're slapped in the face with it, the denial that they go through might be amusing if it weren't so pathetic."

"But back when Tobias was teaching me about the finer points of the rest of the Wizarding world, he told me that every self-respecting Pureblood family, be they light or dark, had a graveyard that would allow members of the community to come and pay their respects to the dead family members. It's less heavily warded, because strangers come and go as they please, but the people need explicit permission from the residents of the Manor to go further onto the property," Harry said. "It was supposed to be a way for the family to honor their dead and keep their alliances intact without risking the wrath of their enemies."

Thomas hesitated a moment, thinking about the idea for a long moment, his fingers stopping their absent movement through Harry's hair. "The idea has some merit," he said quietly. "I suppose it's worth looking into, though I doubt too much will come of it. Dumbledore will know if any undo influence has been used to gain an otherwise unwelcome admittance into the Longbottom Manor, and I would much rather wait until later on in my plan before he deigns to involve himself in this." He glanced down at Harry when the young man nudged his fingers with his forehead to prompt him to start running his fingers through Harry's hair again. He noticed the lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead and his eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing of it.

"Are you a politician?" Harry asked suddenly, looking up at Thomas curiously.

Cain grinned at the question but he said nothing.

"Not quite," Thomas said.

"Then what are you?"

"You might consider me to be more of a political activist who has adopted something of an ambiguous moral platform," he said with a vague smirk, absently tracing the scar on Harry's forehead.

Harry frowned. "Meaning what?" he asked.

"Meaning that I'm not afraid to get my hands bloody if it means that I will be able to change the Ministry, and the rest of our world, the way that it needs to be changed," Thomas said, tucking a loose lock of Harry's hair behind his ear. "Though I can assure you that I will never had your blood on my hands if I can help it," he murmured almost inaudibly.

Harry flushed red but didn't say anything.


	6. Eins

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

...

Chapter 6: Eins

...

Cain walked into Harry's bedroom, frowning when he saw Harry still asleep on the bed. "Kid, it's almost noon!" he said. "Why aren't you up yet?"

"'M tired," Harry muttered into his pillow. "Go 'way."

"Not going to happen, kid," Cain said, walking further into the room and tugging on Harry's hair once he stood at Harry's bed-side. "I need you to get up."

"I'll send 'Viva after you when you're defenseless," Harry mumbled, pulling the pillow over his head. Aviva lifted her head up and hissed tiredly at Cain, protesting the disturbance of her sleep. "Go 'way."

Cain frowned. "I've got to go out of the country for a few days. Irwin's asked for some help and I don't want him to hurt himself again. You need to run things here until I get back," he said, pulling the pillow out of Harry's grasp and tugging on Harry's hair again.

"How long?" Harry asked, blindly reaching out for his pillow.

"A week," Cain said, dropping the pillow on the floor next to the bed. "It might take a bit longer, but I won't be able to tell for sure until I actually get there and talk to him."

Harry grinned sleepily and looked up at Cain, still not moving from his spot on the bed. "Does the shop really need to be open for today?" he asked.

Cain frowned and carefully picked up one of the cobras on the bed. "I wouldn't tell you to run things here if the place could stay closed, kid," he said. "Get out of bed."

"Five minutes," Harry muttered.

"Fine," Cain said, rubbing his shaven head. "Five minutes, but after that I'm going to tell Bull that he and the other snakes can wake you up as they see fit," he muttered. "I need to go pack a bag. Be out of bed by the time I get back, please."

Harry muttered something that sounded vaguely like consent before turning and hiding his face against Aviva's coils.

...

Ten minutes later, Cain walked back into Harry's bedroom expecting to see the young man once again asleep underneath a blanket of snakes. So, when he saw Harry walking out of the bathroom, fully dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved black Under Armor shirt, he was pleasantly surprised.

Harry looked over at him. "So, a week in Sydney?" he asked.

"Only if Irwin hasn't gotten himself into more trouble than I really want to deal with. Again," he said. "Pepper knows that I'm going out, and she's increased the wards around the shop in case there's another raid in the courtyard," he added. "She'll probably leave you well enough alone, but given that she and Toby are close, she might let it slip that you're alone."

"Great," Harry muttered darkly, pulling his hair back into a ponytail. He looked over at Aviva, who was still sleeping on the bed.

"Why were you so tired?"

Harry shrugged. "Aviva and I were talking, and some of the other snakes joined in on the conversation. It kept going and I guess we all lost track of time," he said.

"What were you talking about?"

Harry hesitated a moment. "The war," he said quietly. "The courtyard. Tobias. Thomas," he said as he walked with Cain down to the back office in the shop.

Cain looked over at him. "What did you all have to say about Thomas?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing that I'm telling you," Harry said with a slight scowl. "And the snakes know well to keep their silence," he said.

"That's just uncalled for," Cain said as he pulled on a leather jacket.

"What do you need that for?" Harry asked. "It's nearly 90 degrees outside."

Cain grinned down at him, ruffling his hair playfully. "And it's winter in Australia, kid," he said. "Take care of yourself while I'm out and don't be afraid to use Toby as target practice if he steps over the line."

Harry nodded, and not five seconds later, Cain Apparated out of the office with a loud crack. "Well, fuck," he said before looking over at the doorway. He grinned at Aviva as she moved into the room and quickly settled around his shoulders. "_Now what_?" he asked, walking out of the office.

"_You could go ask Pepper for some liquor, invite the Toby creature over, and put on a show for us_," Bull said as he moved to the main room.

Aviva bared her fangs irritably at the anaconda. "_You are pathetic_," she hissed.

"_On the contrary, I think of myself as a rather fascinating creature_," he replied.

Harry grinned and watched as the two of them bickered between themselves. A chime sounded and he headed to the door.

An older man stood on the other side of the door, his arms crossed over his chest and a decidedly irate expression on his face. "Is it a habit of yours to make interested customers wait on the wrong side of a closed door?" he asked.

"Only when said interested customer looks like someone who's participated in one of the many raids in this courtyard," Harry said coolly. "How can I help you?"

"May I come in?" the man asked, pointedly staring at the shop behind Harry. He looked down at Harry and then at Aviva. "I will not harm you or the snakes inside your shop," he said after another moment of standing at the doorway.

Harry hesitated just a second longer before opening the door enough for the man to walk inside. He took his chance to look over the man, ignoring the bad feeling that he got about him.

Sallow, pale skin spattered with various colors, and his hands seemed to have it worst. His nose was one of the most beak-like appendages that either Harry or Bull had seen, and he had to bite back his laughter at a number of his comments. His hair was black and greasy, and as he passed by Harry, he had to bite back the urge to choke on the smell of stale potions ingredients.

"I've been told that this shop, Serpicos, has the best snakes available."

"_He'll bleed us dry and use our skins for his potions_," Bull hissed as he settled himself among the foliage where the man couldn't see him. "_I've seen his type before_."

Harry paused, glancing over at Bull before looking at the man.

He was looking around the shop, looking almost afraid to be surrounded by so many snakes. "How many serpents do you have in this shop?" he asked.

"At least sixty," Harry said with a shrug. "It's been a while since the boss or I did a head-count," he commented.

The man looked over at him. "Wouldn't you be better off in school, young man?" he asked.

"No," he said.

"And why's that?" he asked.

Harry glared at him. "Is there something in this shop that I can help you find?" he asked coolly.

The man pulled a length of parchment from a pocket within his robes. "I'm seeking these ingredients, and I was hoping that you might have them here," he said, handing the parchment to Harry.

Looking over the list, Harry's expression hardened. "What kind of bullshit are you trying to pull?" he asked.

"I beg your pardon?" the man asked.

"You heard me," Harry snapped. He carefully removed Aviva from around his neck and let her move onto a heavy branch nearby before turning to face the man watching him passively. "Half the shit on this list is illegal in most of Europe, and the other half requires removing the parts from a live snake to be properly harvested," he hissed.

A number of the snakes sat up a bit, getting agitated along with Harry.

The man glared at him. "I can assure you that this is not any sort of bullshit," he snapped. "And I find myself in need of every ingredient on that list."

"Well, then it's a trap," Harry growled. "Because the only reason someone would come in looking for these ingredients is someone who's either poisoning someone or trying to bring somebody back from the dead, both of which are illegal." He ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down. It didn't quite work, and he didn't fail to notice the way the man's eyes widened slightly when he saw his scar.

"There are other uses for these ingredients, and I resent your implication," the man said.

Harry growled and threw the parchment back at the man. "Still beating serpent hearts are only used in resurrection potions," he snarled. "And apart from that, this shop won't sell snakes to you if you've got the intention of killing them."

The man opened his mouth and tried to respond, but Harry cut him off with an abrupt gesture of his hand.

"Get out," Harry snapped.

"I beg your pardon?" the man asked.

Harry pointed to the door behind him, glaring at the man. "Get the fuck out of the shop and don't come back until you're looking for something that doesn't involve a sentence in Azkaban for the both of us," he said.

The man hesitated a moment. He brushed past Harry, deliberately knocking Harry's shoulder as he stalked out of the shop.

As soon as the door shut behind him, Bull emerged from his hiding spot. "_He's going to be back, you know_," he said as Aviva wrapped herself around his shoulders.

"_Don't you ever do that to me again_," she hissed, slapping her tail against Harry's head.

Harry paused. "_I know you don't like him, Viva, but if that's going to happen again, I think it might be a good idea to have Toby spend a few days here_," he hissed.

Bull lifted his head a bit and grinned as much as a snake could. "_I fully support that idea_," he said as Harry took a seat on the couch and looked over at him.

"_You're the most perverse snake that I've had the misfortune to come across_," Harry said with a grin. "_Cain mentioned that your burns are almost completely healed_," he added, glancing over at the scarred length of Bull's scales.

"_It's as good as it's going to get, little one_," he said. "_Nothing more can be done to ease the discomfort_," he added.

Harry frowned and leaned back into the couch. He closed his eyes, smiling slightly as Aviva moved into his lap and the other snakes in the shop moved closer to him.

...

A long while later, a chime echoed through the shop and the door to the shop opened and shut quietly.

Harry looked over at the door, not bothering to move from his spot on the couch. Most of the snakes had gathered around the couch and were talking quietly amongst themselves or dozing around the areas.

"You look incredibly comfortable right now, little boy," Tobias said, looking all too cheerful for Harry's good.

"What do you want, Tobias?" Harry asked, looking over at the man.

Tobias grinned, planting himself on the couch next to Harry and grinning at the irritated hisses he got from the snakes that were abruptly moved out of his way. "A little birdie told me that you were going to be all alone for a week," he said, wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders and pulling him closer.

"I know that Pepper told you, so you don't need to keep using that 'little birdie' line," Harry said. "And I know I'm going to think this is a stupid idea later, but could you stick around for a while?" he asked hesitantly.

He immediately sobered. "What happened?" Tobias asked.

"A man came by looking to buy a bunch of the illegal stuff that we supposedly don't sell," Harry said, looking over at Tobias. "I'm pretty sure that it was a trap, so I told him to get out."

Tobias scowled, tugging Harry a bit closer to him and ignoring Aviva's warning hiss. "If it was someone from one of the Ministries, then they'll be back again," he said. "I'll hang out here for a few days, but I can't guarantee I'll be much help if things get too bloody."

"Whatever help you can give to keep them out of here would be appreciated," Harry mumbled.

Tobias nodded, pressing a kiss to Harry's head. "I'll keep a close eye on you and your precious serpents, little boy," he said with a slight smile. "Worry not."


	7. Zwei

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

...

Chapter 7: Zwei

...

"You can't be serious," Harry said as he tossed a live rabbit over to Bull, who caught it with ease and hissed his gratitude before devouring it.

Tobias, from his seat on the couch, just laughed quietly. "It worked like a charm, and the whole time, I kept wondering if the brat's mother was going to walk in on us and interrupt what we had going on," he said.

"So, one line from you is enough to have anyone begging you to take them to bed?" Harry asked, looking over at the older man.

"I do have another piece to get them into bed, but that's going to stay a secret between me, myself, and I," Tobias said. He smirked at Harry, making sure to keep eye contact with the young man. "If you still doubt my abilities, then come here and allow me to show you my skill."

Harry looked over at Tobias, silently arching an eyebrow.

Bull chuckled. "_Indulge him a bit, would you?_" he asked, looking over at Harry. "_It would be an interesting show for us_."

"_You could just send him away_," Aviva suggested as she wound herself around Harry's upper body. "_And then I would not have to worry about the corrupting influence that he has on you._"

Harry looked down at the basilisk, who flicked her tongue warningly in Bull's direction. "_You could just solve your problem with a little bite, you know,_" he said.

"_He is valuable to Cain and, as much as I hate him for his behavior, he is qualified teacher for you,_" Aviva replied. "_I will not bite him this time_."

Harry smirked a bit and looked over at Tobias, who was watching every move that he made.

"It seems you've got a secret or two of your own, little boy," he said. "Cain never mentioned that you can speak the snake language, and I don't recall you sharing that little tidbit with me, either."

Harry shrugged. "When Cain found out that I can speak the language, he just refused to let me leave the shop," he said.

"You've been held captive since you first made it into the courtyard?" Tobias asked.

Harry took a few steps forward so that he was standing directly in front of Tobias. "No," he said. "But Cain told me that there were people outside of the courtyard who wouldn't hesitate to kill me if they found out that I was able to speak with snakes. Even if I was only six years old at the time," he said.

Tobias paused, thinking something over before looking back over at Harry. "And you've been keeping that secret to yourself ever since then?" he asked.

"Pretty much," Harry replied, shrugging slightly. "When a basilisk promises that she can keep you safe from the people who would kill you, it's a strong incentive to stay here and become more than slightly reliant on that protection."

"And yet I know for a fact that you are more than capable of handling yourself without the snakes helping you," Tobias said.

Harry smirked. "Finding out at a young age that there are people willing to kill you because you've been able to talk to snakes since you can remember was a pretty good push into making sure that I am not helpless in a potentially dangerous situation," he said. "And then the courtyard raids started, which only increased the need for me to be able to protect myself."

Tobias smirked and pulled Harry into his lap, chuckling at the indignant squeak the young man let out. "You could always ask me to protect you, little boy," he said.

"I'll be fine without you," Harry said. "Now, you told me that you would show me your incredible skill."

"I have many incredible skills," Tobias said. "Which one would you like me to demonstrate for you this time?" he asked.

"Your ability to persuade someone into your bed with just a sentence spoken," Harry said.

Tobias smirked. "I'll go easy on you," he said quietly.

Almost immediately, waves of warm air started crashing around Harry, and he found himself leaning closer to the older man, who was smirking.

"Now," Tobias said with a purr in his voice. "I suppose you'd like to hear the line that got the young man into bed with me?" he asked.

Harry closed his eyes and shrugged, leaning forward and resting his head on Tobias' shoulders as the waves continued to wash around him. "What are you?" he asked quietly.

"You're choosing now to ask? When you are completely vulnerable and at my mercy?" Tobias asked, resting his hands on Harry's hips.

"_You're in over your head, child_," Aviva hissed warningly as she tightened herself a bit around Harry's torso. "_Put some distance between yourself and him before I choose to do it myself_."

"_Aviva, I can handle this myself_," Harry hissed calmly before leaning back and meeting Tobias' gaze. "What are you?"

Tobias frowned slightly and pulled his hands off of Harry's hips. The warmth surrounding the younger man ebbed a bit. "My father was an incubus," he said.

Harry leaned back. "An incubus?" he asked. "Isn't that a demon that thrives on the lust of their prey?" he asked.

The older man hesitated. "Something like that, yes," he said, sounding almost reluctant.

"This is one of those things that needs to stay a secret from everyone else, isn't it?" Harry asked.

"Very much so," Tobias said with an appreciative smile.

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but the chime at the front door sounded through the shop, effectively cutting him off. He stood up and looked over at Bull. "_Make sure you're hidden_," he hissed. "_And the rest of you need to be on your guard_," he added, making sure that all the snakes in the main room acknowledged his instructions.

Tobias watched the anaconda slip underneath the couch before looking up at Harry. "You're not worried about it being another raid, are you?" he asked.

"I don't know," Harry said, glancing down at Aviva. "But I don't want to take any chances," he added before heading to the door.

He opened it a bit and scowled when he recognized who was standing just outside the door. "You wouldn't happen to have brought a supply list with something legal on it, would you?" he asked.

The beak-nosed man crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at Harry. "Are you going to let us in or not?" he asked.

"Us?" Harry asked. "I only see you, and I'm not all that keen on letting you back inside," he said.

An old man with a beard that seemed to reach his knees walked up to stand next to the beak-nosed man. "Is there some reason that you don't want to invite us in, my boy?" he asked.

Tobias walked up to stand next to Harry, deliberately wrapping an arm around the younger man's shoulders. As soon as he looked at the old man, his lips pulled back in a snarl. "Albus fucking Dumbledore," he said coldly.

"Have we met before, my boy?" the old man - apparently named Albus Dumbledore - asked, looking over the rims of his glasses at Tobias.

"Not personally," Tobias said. "And it's going to stay that way."

Harry glanced up at Tobias before looking back at Albus Dumbledore and his younger companion. "If you want to come into the shop, then the both of you are going to need to swear on your magic that you aren't going to cause problems or hurt the snakes, my companion, or myself," he said icily.

"That wasn't the policy when I dropped by two days ago," the black haired man said.

"It's a new policy," Harry said. "Started about two days ago," he added.

The man opened his mouth to respond, but the older man held up his hand. "Severus, behave yourself," he said. He looked over at Harry. "We will make the Oath," he said.

"Then make it," Harry snapped. "Otherwise you're not going to make it one step inside the shop."

...

The man called Severus walked into the shop and immediately started staring at an emerald tree boa resting on the branch of a tree. "How much is that snake going to cost?" he asked, glancing back over at Harry.

"How much are you willing to pay?" Harry asked.

"I was not aware that this was a shop that utilized haggling," Severus snapped.

"You're not aware of a lot, are you?" Harry sniped back.

Albus looked over at Harry. "Is there some reason that you don't want us here, my boy?" he asked.

"You're the type of Light wizard that has condoned any number of illegal raids in our courtyard and in my shop," Harry snapped. "And your pet came in two days ago and tried to buy a number of illegal things, including Runespoor eggs," he said.

"Severus, is this true?" Albus asked, looking over at the man.

"I merely did as you instructed me to do," Severus said before looking over at Harry. "And are you trying to insinuate that you are not a Light wizard?" he asked.

Harry leveled a glare at the man. "I'm not going to play mind games with you," he snapped. "If you want to ask a question, then just ask it."

"What side do you align yourself with in this war?" Severus asked.

Tobias covered Harry's mouth before he could answer the question. "No one has been obliged to answer that sort of question in eight centuries, and you're not going to be the one who starts it up again," he said coldly. "Is there something that we can help you with, or are you just here to waste our time?" he asked.

Albus cleared his throat, successfully gaining Harry's full attention. "Aren't you worried about having a snake curled around your body?" he asked. "And what breed is it?"

"She's a constrictor," Harry said coldly. "What business do you have here?" he asked.

"Severus informed me that I might need to check on the welfare of a young man who seemed to be on his own in a snake pit. I am merely making sure that you are in no danger, immediate or otherwise," Albus said.

"The only danger here is you," Tobias snarled.

"_The old one is gathering his magic in preparation of an attack_," Aviva said. "_Be on your guard and be ready to defend yourself_."

Harry reached a hand up and gently stroked her face in an attempt to calm her, but he kept his eyes on Albus.

"You are not the only one who runs this shop, and I am willing to wager that the demon with you is not your primary caretaker," the old man said.

Harry glanced back at Tobias, taking note that the man's canines had seemingly sharpened and his eyes were quickly turning black. "He's not a demon," he said, looking back at Albus.

"And what makes you so sure that he is not merely masquerading as a human?" the man asked back.

"Because he has never threatened me the way that you are doing now," Harry snapped. "State your business and get out."

"Severus informed me that you, my boy, have a rather peculiar scar on your forehead," Albus said. "And I was interested in seeing that scar for myself," he said, pulling a wand from the sleeve of his robes almost casually.

"Kid, come here," Tobias said coldly, and Harry looked over at him almost hesitantly before doing as told. As soon as he was within arm's reach, Tobias snatched Harry and positioned himself directly in front of the younger man, all the while glaring at the old man. "Don't answer any more of his questions, kid," he said quietly. "And you, put your wand away before I snap it in half," he added.

"There is no reason for the hostility," Albus said, absently toying with his wand.

Severus reached out for the emerald tree boa in an attempt to pick it up, but a nearby cobra struck out at him, effectively stopping the man's efforts to pick up the boa.

"Watch out," Harry deadpanned as Severus pulled his hand back and glared at him.

Tobias grabbed Severus by the back of the neck and jerked his head back so that his throat was exposed to the man.

"The snakes only lash out at one they see as a threat," Harry said quietly, glaring at Severus. "And I trust their judgement far more than I trust any Oath you make on your magic, so you need to get out."

Severus reached back and pulled Tobias' hand away from the back of his neck. "You will keep your hands off of me, demon," he snapped.

"He is here as an invited guest of the shop's owner," Harry snapped. "He is free to behave as he wishes, so long as he does not harm any of the snakes."

"Are you not worried about him doing harm to you?" Albus asked, looking over at Harry.

"You have been told once already to put away your wand, and I suggest you do it before my companion asks you to do so again," Harry said. "And he won't hurt me unless I first give him the permission to do so."

...

After another fifteen minutes of being ignored while Albus attempted to interrogate Harry while the younger man did his best not to cooperate, Tobias tugged lightly on Harry's ponytail and jerked his head in the direction of the back office.

Harry followed him. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly, keeping an eye on both Albus and Severus as he stood just inside the threshold of the office.

"I want you to go get Pepper," Tobias said, his voice almost inaudible. He deliberately kept his back turned on the two strangers in the shop, and did his best to focus on keeping the younger man shielded from any potential attack.

"Why?" Harry asked.

Tobias glanced over his shoulder at Albus and bared his teeth when he noticed the old man watching the two of them having a conversation. He silently erected an anti-eavesdropping shield. "This isn't going to stay this pleasant for too much longer, little boy, and I don't want you to see anything that you shouldn't have to see," he said quietly. "Pepper can fix this situation before it becomes an actual situation."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

Tobias nodded, glancing down at Aviva. "Go quickly, and tell her that we've got two Light wizards and it's going to get complicated if it's not resolved soon," he said.

Harry glanced back into the main area of the shop and then back up at Tobias. "I'll go through the back door," he said.

"Good," Tobias said quietly, glancing over his shoulder at the two intruders. "Hurry up."

Harry nodded and slipped out of the office through a concealed back door, silently making his way to the restaurant that Pepper owned.


	8. Drei

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: The German numbers have no real significance to the story - they're just the titles to these chapters. (I apologize for any confusion brought about by the sudden language change.) And this is probably the last chapter until closer to Christmas - Final exams are a killer and I need to focus on those until the semester is over.

...

Chapter 8: Drei

...

Upon first seeing Pepper, most people thought she was nothing more than a frail old lady. She stood about five feet tall, and she looked very much like a strong gust of wind could knock her onto her back. Her light brown eyes were constantly on guard, and she was incredibly proud of her short, bright blue mohawk.

The first time that Harry saw Pepper, back when he was six years old, she was just finishing up lighting someone's hair on fire for insinuating that she was senile. That immediately killed any interest that he might have had in taunting the woman, and it had inspired a sort of hero worship in him that lasted as he got older.

...

"Well, if it isn't the little boy who plays with snakes," Pepper said with a smile as Harry walked into the restaurant. "And I thought I told you last time that I don't like seeing that snake looped around your neck," she added.

Harry scowled, raising a hand up to rub Aviva's head almost reassuringly. "She hasn't hurt me yet," he said. "So there hasn't been a problem. Anyway, that's not why I came over here," he added.

"No, I don't suppose that it would be," she said, studying the look on the young man's face. "What's wrong?" she asked after a minute.

"He's back in the shop, and he's trying to keep them at a distance, but they keep on pushing him," Harry said hurriedly. "And he told me what he is and that's making me and the snakes more nervous, because his claws are coming out and he might actually do some lasting damage."

"Slow down a minute, baby," she said, taking hold of Harry's hands with her own hands.

He paused, allowing the soothing pulses she sent him to do their jobs and calm him down a bit.

"Take a deep breath and start again, honey," Pepper said.

"Two light wizards have Toby cornered back in the shop, and he's holding them off as best he can, but they've still got the advantage on him somehow," Harry said. "He got me into the back office and told me to come get you so that you can get rid of them."

Pepper straightened a bit, finally letting go of the young man's hands. "I'll excuse the presence of the snake, then," she said absently before pulling her wand off of a nearby table. "Let's go, and we're going back inside through the door that you snuck out of," she added.

Harry nodded and led the way.

...

When they made it back into the shop, Harry noticed that Severus was gone, and there was some blood where he had previously been standing.

Albus, though, had managed to back the blond demon against the back wall of the shop and had his wand pressed just under Tobias' right eye. "You are making this far more difficult than it needs to be, my boy," he said.

Harry opened his mouth and took half a step forward to try and intervene, but Pepper put a hand on his chest to stop him. He glanced down at her and she shook her head slightly.

"You're going to have to kill me, old man," Tobias said with a feral grin. He spat out a bit of blood onto Albus' robes. "And I don't know shit about what you're asking about," he snapped.

The old man murmured something and a cut suddenly appeared on Tobias' face, accompanied by a small hiss from the demon.

Pepper took a step forward, deliberately putting herself in front of Harry, and cleared her throat loudly.

Albus looked over at her and frowned. "Is there something that I can help you with, madam?" he asked, not even bothering to hide his patronizing tone of voice.

"You can start by putting your wand back in your sleeve, and you may then step away from my welcomed guest," she said, her tone glacial.

Albus watched her for a long moment, and it seemed like he wasn't going to do as Pepper told him.

She narrowed her eyes at him and immediately the temperature in the shop lowered about ten degrees.

Harry hissed irritably at the sudden temperature change - a sentiment that was echoed by most of the snakes present in the main room. "Pepper," he snapped quietly, looking down at the old woman. "A warning would be helpful next time," he hissed.

"Young man, I will not tolerate your backtalk right now," Pepper said without looking at him. "Now, sir, I will tell you again to lower your wand and step away from the man who you just assaulted."

Albus hesitated another long moment.

Harry growled and walked over to Tobias, grabbing the blond man's arm and pulling him out of the old man's hold. "You're coming upstairs with me," he said coldly, ignoring the shocked looks on both Tobias' and Albus' faces. "Pepper, put the temperature back when it's safe again, would you?" he asked.

...

Tobias made himself comfortable on the sitting room of the loft above the shop while Harry paced back and forth in front of the couch. "I'm going to be fine, little boy," Tobias said after a moment. He took hold of Harry's hand and gently pulled the younger man to sit on the couch next to him.

"You're bleeding," Harry said plainly. "And I don't know if I want to know what happened while I was out getting Pepper," he added.

Tobias scowled. "You don't want to know, Harry, and I don't want to tell you," he said. "Because I don't want you exposed to the sort of hatred against my kind that the Light wizards regularly employ," he said.

"It was that bad?" Harry asked.

Tobias nodded. "He did not learn what he set out to find out, though, and Pepper will make sure that he doesn't get any answers at all," he said.

"But what was it that he wanted to find out?" Harry asked.

"You haven't asked Cain yet?" Tobias asked curiously, leaning back in the sofa. "I'd have thought that you would already know all about that," he said.

Harry frowned. He leaned over and pressed his hand against the cut on Tobias' forehead, silently healing it. "If it has something to do with my life before living here with Cain, then I've deliberately not asked about it," he said. "And at the moment, I don't particularly care about that life."

"Why not?" Tobias asked. "You've never brought it up with me before, but I always thought that was because Cain was answering your questions and you didn't need me to fill anything in for you."

Harry shook his head. "The only thing that I remember about that life was my Uncle threatening to kill me and my cousin beating the living shit out of me, so I never had any interest in remembering anything else about that life," he said. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked.

"My ribs a bit, but that's not from the old man," he said, wincing when Harry put a hand on his chest and carefully healed the few broken ribs. "That's from the demon making its appearance," he said.

A calm silence settled in between the two, and as a number of snakes moved into the sitting room, they heard a loud crashing sound from the floor below.

Harry could hear Bull's agitated cursing from his spot on the couch, and he couldn't help but grin when he heard a familiar string of cursing from Pepper. He looked back over at Tobias. "So, the old man came here to get answers about me?" he asked.

Tobias nodded. "Cain should have at least filled you on the basics," he muttered.

"You could do that right now," Harry suggested.

The blond man shook his head. "I can't," he said quietly. "I only know what Cain told me, and that was only enough to convince me that he should keep you around," he added.

"Great," Harry said, standing up and resuming his pacing.

"_Thomas might have some answers about your past_," Aviva hissed from her spot around Harry's neck. "_He did seem to be in charge of Cain when the two of you visited his Manor_," she said.

Harry nodded a bit. "_I'll ask him if he shows up again, I suppose_," he said.

Another loud crash from downstairs caught both of their attention and Harry turned, ready to head downstairs to see what was going on, but Tobias grabbed his arm. "I refuse to let this shop fall to ruin while Cain is away," Harry said, jerking his arm from Tobias' hold.

"Then stay up here where you're safe, little boy," Tobias said quietly. "Pepper is not as powerful as the ever revered Albus Dumbledore, but she has the home field advantage and she likes to make noise," he added, but another crash had him sighing heavily. "Let her work her magic," he said with a slight grin.

Harry hesitated, but nodded as Bull slipped into the sitting room.

"_Tell Tobias that the old woman is insane_," Bull said, looking over at Tobias and hissing irritably at the man. "_And he is the one responsible for bringing her here, so I hold him fully accountable_."

Tobias looked at Harry. "That wasn't a nice thing that he said, was it?" he asked.

Harry just shook his head.

...

After another hour and three more crashes, Pepper walked upstairs to the sitting room.

"Is everything alright?" Tobias asked, looking over at the woman.

She smiled tiredly at him. "That was quite the workout," she said, panting slightly. "But he won't be coming back into the courtyard unless he wants to risk crossing paths with me again," she added. "Harry, be a good lad and fetch me something to drink, would you?" she asked.

Harry nodded and stood up. He glanced back at Tobias. "Did you want anything to eat or drink?" he asked.

"I'll be fine for now," he said quietly. "Just keep the anaconda away from me and there won't be any more exciting new situations to deal with."

Harry grinned. "_Bull, make sure to respect Toby's personal space_," he hissed before heading into the kitchen and fixing the berry tea that Pepper asked for whenever she came to visit the shop.

"_If there are people who are willing to show up and start demanding answers to questions about you, it is very much within your best interest to find out what they were so keen on finding out_," Aviva hissed quietly.

Harry hesitated a moment but nodded. "_I'll ask Cain when he returns to the shop, and I'll ask Thomas if he knows anything when he shows up again_," he said.

Aviva chuckled. "_About an hour ago, it was 'if' he showed up and now it is 'when' he shows up_," she said. "_What is it about this man that has you so fascinated_?" she asked.

Harry just shrugged and walked back out to the sitting room with Pepper's tea. He handed it to her and took a seat on the sofa next to Tobias.

"Now," Pepper said once she had made herself comfortable in the armchair across from the sofa. She took a small sip of her tea and looked over at the two of them. "Would either of you care to tell me just what the hell happened that you needed me to step in?" she asked. "Or are you going to make excuses?"

Tobias leaned forward, crossing his arms over his chest. "Apparently, the British Potions Master dropped by to see if Harry was willing to sell him some incredibly illegal items -"

"And I didn't," Harry interjected. "And the one thing that wasn't illegal involved him carving open one of my snakes," he said quietly.

"Right," Tobias said. "And our boy recognized the man for the scum that he is, and refused to even tolerate him. He sent him packing and I dropped by, but the Potions Master came by today with Albus fucking Dumbledore as back up," he said. "They started pushing some issues that they really had no business pushing, so I sent our boy to get you."

"Why does it matter?" Harry asked.

Pepper looked over at him. "I normally try not to attack the famed Leader of the Light without a good reason, and while I usually do my best to make sure that I have that reason before the fight starts, I was willing to make an exception this time," she said. "It also helps iron out any sort of legal issues that might crop up from this little altercation of ours. Now, am I going to have to tell Cain about this?" she asked.

Harry and Tobias looked over at each other before staring at the floor in front of them, neither of them offering an answer to Pepper.

"Harry, am I going to have to tell Cain about this attack?" Pepper asked, leveling her brown eyes onto the younger man.

A sudden movement in the doorway of the sitting room captured the attention of all three occupants of the room.

A black traveling cloak was set on the bookshelf next to the doorway and the owner of the coat took a step inside the room. "What attack?" he asked coldly.


	9. Drei II

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: So, I mentioned that the previous chapter was probably going to be the last for a while, but I wanted to what was going to happen. This one is probably going to seem a bit rushed, but I promise it will all get explained within the next few chapters (which won't be put up until at least the end of my semester). Happy holidays and all that to you all.

...

Chapter 9: Drei II

...

"What attack?" he asked coldly, looking around the room.

Harry looked over at the newcomer and smiled weakly. "Cain isn't here at the moment," he said quietly. "He's going to be back in about five days, though," he added.

Thomas shook his head. "I'll address that in a moment," he said, turning a a cold red-eyed glare onto Pepper.

She seemed to get the hint and stood up. "Tobias, Harry, if you need anything else, you know where to find me," she said. "I'll check back in with the two of you around dinner time," she added before nodding politely to Thomas and heading down the stairs and out of the shop.

Tobias was the next to be on the receiving end of the glare, but instead of leaving, he returned it. "You have nothing to be worried about," he snapped.

"I beg your pardon?" Thomas asked coldly.

Tobias stayed quiet for a moment, and Harry noticed that as the older man clenched his hands into fists, his hands were trembling. He stood up and placed himself directly in front of Thomas. "Your prize wasn't hurt," he growled, attempting to brush past Thomas to leave the shop.

Thomas grabbed him by the upper arm, stopping Tobias before he could take a step. "If we were anywhere else, you would be dead for that insolence," he hissed quietly.

Harry watched the interaction between the two of them, not entirely sure what was going on. He glanced down at Aviva, who flicked her tongue out in his direction but said nothing.

After a short, inaudible conversation between the two of them, Tobias pulled his arm out of Thomas' grasp and glanced back at Harry.

The younger man did his best not to stare at the spots on Tobias' upper arm that were already darkening into bruises. "Tobias?" he asked.

"I'll be over with Pepper for a little while," Tobias said reluctantly. "Watch yourself," he added quietly before stepping past Thomas and heading downstairs to the main shop.

Thomas waited until he and Harry heard the door shut behind Tobias before speaking. "Has someone been harassing you in Cain's absence?" he asked, looking over at Harry.

Harry hesitated a moment.

"I am not a patient man, Harry," Thomas said, a dangerous purr in his voice.

"Two men came in and the old man wanted to see one of my scars," Harry said. He looked up at Thomas, a disturbingly intelligent glint in his green eyes, and stood up. "It's the same scar that you noticed when you mentioned your political platform," he said, taking a half step toward Thomas.

The older man smirked slightly but stood in place as Harry approached him. He had to say, he was rather impressed with the way the boy hid his nervousness.

Harry took another step so he was standing just in front of Thomas, and he found himself internally grinning when he noticed that he wasn't too much shorter than the man. "Why is one little scar so fascinating?" he asked.

Thomas said nothing for a moment. He glanced down at Aviva, who tightened herself a bit around Harry's torso. "What do you remember of your life before you came to live in this shop with Cain?" he asked, deliberately keeping his voice calm.

"How do you know that I haven't lived with him my whole life?" Harry retorted.

Thomas smirked again and took a step forward so that he was pressed almost chest to chest with the younger man. Without any warning, he grabbed a chunk of Harry's hair and roughly pulled it back so that Harry's neck was exposed to him. He pushed back Harry's bangs and smirked before running his fingers lightly over the lightning bolt shaped scar on Harry's forehead. "I know, because this scar is proof that you were marked as an infant," he purred.

Harry stared up at Thomas almost calmly. "Let me go," he said coolly, putting a hand on Aviva's head to stop her from striking out at Thomas.

"You are an impressive young man," Thomas said, loosening his hold on Harry's hair, but not fully releasing him. "Such self control in one so young is almost unheard of."

"I work in a shop with venomous and otherwise deadly snakes," Harry said. "Self control is a matter of survival here. Besides, I saw what you did to Cain and I have no interest in that happening to me. Now, let me go."

"You do not have questions?" Thomas asked, apparently nonplussed by Harry's accusation.

"Not that I'm going to ask when you've got the clear advantage," he snapped. When Thomas showed no sign of letting go, Harry reached his hands back and pulled his hair out of Thomas' hold. He took a step back. "You were out of line."

"I don't suppose you'd accept a heartfelt apology," Thomas said flippantly. "What do you remember of your life before Serpicos and Cain?" he asked, watching Harry almost too closely.

"My Uncle threatening to kill me and my whale of a cousin beating the shit out of me," Harry snapped. "And my Aunt, doing her best to avoid my Uncle when the man was throwing a temper tantrum. Why?"

"You remember nothing of your parents?" Thomas asked.

Harry took another step back and eyed Thomas warily. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me the whole truth about my scar, even if you volunteer to do so," he said.

Thomas chuckled quietly. "I am more than willing to admit to you that I am not one to employ the entire truth," he said. "However, with you, I am willing to make an exception."

"Why?"

"_He wants to control you, childe_," Aviva hissed. "_I would__ not believe a word that he tells you_."

Thomas glanced down at Aviva again. "If I were to swear on the life of my snake that I am willing to share with you the entire truth about your scar, would you be willing to listen to me?" he asked.

Harry hesitated. He glanced down at Aviva and ran his hands through his hair, briefly exposing the scar one more time. "The entire truth?" he asked, sitting back down on the couch and watching Thomas.

"Whether it is to my benefit or not," Thomas said, though not without a brief moment of hesitation at the admittance.

"Why?"

Thomas took a seat on the couch next to Harry, though not close enough to make the younger man uncomfortable. "If the old man was who I think he is, then that means we are not far off from open war," he said. "And as much as you'd like to think this courtyard is protected, that war will have traitors flooding in here in seek of a place to hide so that they can shirk their duties."

"You want me to fight for you," Harry said, looking over at Thomas. "You want me to take orders from you."

Thomas paused. "Under different circumstances, I would agree with that statement," he said. "And if you choose to fight with me, you will be expected to take some orders from me."

"Some?" Harry asked, leaning back. This conversation was starting to hold his attention, and he would listen - even if only to try and find a way to stop outsiders from turning the courtyard into some half-baked refugee camp. "But not all?"

Thomas shook his head slightly. "You were born on the 31st of July in 1980, am I correct?" he asked.

Harry nodded.

"Your parents were James and Lily Potter, and they were stubbornly on the side of the Light when it came to the war," he said.

"Wait a minute," Harry said. "This war has been going on since before I was born?"

Thomas nodded, a slight smirk on his face. "It started when your parents were in their third year at Hogwarts, and it has been waging on and off for the past two and a half decades," he said.

"And you've been the one on the Dark side the entire time?" Harry asked.

Thomas held up his hand. "We will address that soon enough," he said. "There was a prophecy," he said. "And that is more important at the moment."

Harry paused. "Why are you being so forthcoming?" he asked.

Thomas smirked and pulled his wand from wherever he'd been hiding it. "Your question should be answered when you learn of the prophecy," he said, summoning a crystal bowl with silver liquid swirling around inside it. "Are you familiar with these?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "It's a Pensieve," he said. "They keep memories intact when they are no longer in your mind."

"Good," Thomas said. "Come with me," he said.

"What?"

"You and I are going on a short trip inside the Pensieve," Thomas said, taking hold of the sleeve of Harry's shirt and tapping the side of the bowl with his wand.

...

They found themselves in a hallway of what looked to be a school, but Harry couldn't be sure. There was no one other than himself and Thomas in the hallway, and he suppressed a slight shiver at the chill in the memory.

"_A little warning before tossing us into the midst of a memory would not have gone amiss_," Aviva hissed irritably as Harry looked around. He ran his hands along her side reassuringly, but said nothing to her.

Thomas' eyes narrowed at the interaction between the two, but he said nothing of it. "Shortly before you were born, the Headmaster of Hogwarts was searching for a new Divinations professor," he said, leading Harry down the hall, toward a statue of a gargoyle. "The war was still waging, and Prophets have always been an incredible advantage," he added.

"So the teaching position was a ruse?" Harry asked.

"In one manner," Thomas said. "It was the Headmaster's way of sussing out the sanity or affiliation of the few revealed Prophets and Seers in the British region, but he was lucky enough to stumble upon a Prophet just before she Saw something," he said as he led Harry through the statue of the gargoyle and into a large, cluttered office.

Behind a posh oak desk was the bearded man - Albus Dumbledore - who had pushed his way into the shop earlier that day. Harry's eyes narrowed and he tried to bite back a hiss, though judging by the knowing look that Thomas sent his way, he was unsuccessful.

On the other side of the desk was a frazzled woman with glasses that made her eyes seem much larger than humanly possible. Thomas smirked and looked over at Harry. "The Prophet went by the name Cybil Trelawney," he said quietly.

A few minutes of polite conversation between Albus and Cybil, the woman's head lolled back and her eyes slid shut. Albus fell silent, though there was a wickedly satisfied glint twinkling in his eyes as he watched her. There was silence in the room for a long moment before Cybil spoke, though when she did, her voice was much deeper than it had been before.

"The one with the power to match the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal ... for neither can die while the other survives ..."

A few minutes passed and Cybil lifted her head and blinked owlishly. "Forgive me about that," she said in her regular voice. "It happens occasionally, my drifting off," she said.

Albus shook his head, the glint still present in his eyes, though he'd managed to tone it down when the woman came to. "Not at all, my dear," he said. "I find it is you who ought to forgive me. Would you care for a lemon drop?" he asked.

Harry looked over at Thomas, his mouth open to ask a question. The older man held up his hand to stop Harry from talking and he took hold of Harry's shirt sleeve again.

...

"The Headmaster did not appreciate that prophecy, so he staged another one, which he conveniently had a spy of mine overhear," Thomas said. "And that led to some actions on both of our parts that were, if not regrettable, then at least avoidable had the man done what he ought to and just butted out."

"I don't understand," Harry said quietly, looking down at Aviva.

"_He is trying to apologize for the role he has played in your early life_," she hissed before moving off of Harry's torso.

Both Harry and Thomas watched as she moved over to where Bull was sleeping and made herself comfortable in the anaconda's coils.

"Can you understand what she's saying?" Thomas asked curiously.

"Can you?" Harry shot back lightly.

Thomas smirked but said nothing. He leaned back slightly, folding his hands together. "Ask your question," he said.

"If this is the Prophecy, then why were you thinking of ways to get rid of the Longbottom person?" Harry asked. "And what does this Prophecy have to do with your leniency with me?" he asked. "And what's so important about my scar?"

Thomas chuckled quietly. "Would you like them answered in that order?" he asked.

Harry just watched him before shrugging slightly.

"Your scar, then, came about as a direct result of the Headmaster planting his false prophecy," Thomas said. "His prophecy claimed that the one to vanquish the Dark Lord was the child born at the end of the seventh month, and I, admittedly, was rash. I went after the two families in the British Wizarding World that gave birth to children in the end of July."

Harry held up his hand. "Hang on," he said quietly. "You're telling me that you're the Dark Lord," he said.

"_It should not come as that much of a surprise to you, little one_," Bull hissed languidly. "_He reeks of power and the snakes all obey him without question_."

"_Almost all of them_," Aviva hissed indignantly. "_I have my hands full with my child, and with his power, I have no need to submit to a Dark Lord who will more than likely just exploit my venom_," she said.

Harry bit back a grin and looked back over at Thomas. "You're the Dark Lord," he said quietly.

Thomas remained passive, choosing merely to watch Harry in order to assess the younger man's reaction to his revelation.

"Holy shit," Harry muttered, staring at Thomas with wide eyes. "I was born in the end of July," he said quietly, scooting back away from Thomas. "You attacked my family," he said, quickly putting all the pieces together. "You were the one who gave me this bloody scar."

Thomas still remained silent, though he allowed himself to be privately impressed with how quickly Harry was able to figure things out.

"No," Harry breathed out. "_I'm _the one the Prophecy was talking about?"

Thomas nodded slightly. "I'm impressed," he said quietly.

"But what does Longbottom have to do with anything?" Harry asked.

"When you went missing about a decade ago, and no one was able to find you, Longbottom was named the official 'Boy-Who-Lived' among the Light Wizards," Thomas said. "With the false prophecy, I went a bit overboard and attacked both your family and the Longbottoms," he said. "The Headmaster sent both of you away and kept avoiding naming one of you the Savior, because both of you retained a scar."

"But why didn't you just finish the job?"

"Going after you had some unexpected repercussions for me," Thomas said. "I was stuck in what some people would call limbo for a number of years before I was returned to my body," he said. "And since my resurrection, I suppose, I've been searching for you."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"I have found myself a source of immortality, and without my match with me, my magic will be weakened severely while that source adapts to my magic," he said.

Harry hesitated for a long moment. "Do I get a choice in helping you retain your power?" he asked cautiously.

Thomas smirked. "I am more than willing to offer you a choice," he said quietly.

"I come with you and I follow your orders, or I die?" Harry asked.

Thomas chuckled darkly. "I like to think that I am much less crass than that," he said.

"Pepper and I actually had a conversation about something kind of like this once when we were drunk," Harry said with a weak grin.

Thomas arched an eyebrow at Harry. "You're not even sixteen years old yet and you've been drunk with the old bluebird?" he asked with a smirk.

Harry shrugged. "It was on my fifteenth birthday and Cain was out of town. He was with Irwin actually," he said with quiet bark of laughter. "Pepper came over and suggested that I celebrate my birthday with her and a few bottles of Muggle vodka."

"Muggle vodka?"

Harry nodded. "It's her guilty pleasure," he said. "And I'm incredibly thankful for change in conversation, but how am I supposed to help you keep your power?" he asked.

Thomas paused. "I want you to choose to align yourself with the Dark side," he said calmly.

"I'm not ready to fight," Harry said. "I mean, Cain and Tobias have made sure that I know the basics, but I'm not going to be an asset to you on the battlefield."

"Already thinking of the fight?" Thomas asked. "And I know that you aren't ready to fight with my soldiers," he said.

"But you still want me to choose my side permanently," Harry said. "What else?"

"You will visit me once a week in my Manor so that I can assess your proficiency and see where you need to improve," he said.

Harry hesitated. "That's it?" he asked after a long moment.

Thomas nodded. "For now, at least," he said with a slight nod. He cast a quick _tempus_ and frowned before standing up. "No doubt the pedophile is pacing in front of the front door of the shop, waiting to be given permission to come back inside," he said.

Harry stood up as well and offered the man his traveling cloak. "I will see you again soon, then, sir," he said.

Thomas smirked as he pulled his cloak on and fastened it. "Very soon," he said. He paused a moment before leaning down a bit. "You, Harry, may call me Tom."

Harry looked up at him, a slightly confused look on his face. "Sir?" he asked.

Thomas said nothing, but walked out of the shop.

As soon as the door shut behind Thomas, Harry wasn't surprised to find himself backed against the wall of the sitting room while Tobias checked him over for any sort of minor injuries.

"What the hell happened while I was outside?" Tobias asked, backing off only when he was satisfied that Harry was not harmed.

"Thomas offered me training lessons to make sure that my fighting ability is up to par so that the possibility of what happened earlier doesn't happen again," Harry said. "I'm fine, Tobias. Really," he said.

"And what did you say to his offer?"

Harry scowled. "When the Dark Lord offers to train you, that's not something that an intelligent person turns down, is it?" he asked. "One doesn't rise to that rank without an extensive expertise," he said.

Tobias took a step back, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "You aren't serious," he said.

"I am," Harry said. "And given the events of the day, I'm going to close the shop for walk-ins for the rest of the day at least," he said. "Care to join me for lunch with Pepper?" he asked as Aviva moved out of Bull's coils and settled herself back around Harry's torso.

"As if I'm really going to let you go anywhere on your own at the moment," Tobias said with a badly hidden scowl.

Harry smirked and led the way across the courtyard to Pepper's restaurant, making sure to lock the shop to prevent any more unwanted guests.


	10. Vier

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: Exams are over and I can relax for about twelve hours before being shoved into another ring of the circus that my life has apparently turned into. Anyway, Merry Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/other holidays to you all.

...

Chapter 10: Vier

...

"_Why are you only just emerging when it's well after mid-day? And have you started the process of declaring an official side in the war yet_?" Bull asked as Harry walked down the stairs, yawning and absently scratching the back of his head.

"_No, and I'm not thinking about that shit until I absolutely have to,_" the young man said irritably, sending a rude gesture in the direction of the anaconda and deliberately ignoring the snake's first question. "_Besides, the supposed Dark Lord didn't answer all of the questions that I asked him. I'm not going to declare my allegiance until he answers all the questions,_" he said.

"_He's not going to like that, you know_," Bull said with as much of a smirk as a snake could offer. "_This Dark Lord of yours._"

Aviva moved quickly into the room. "_Better my child not bow to this Lord, Bull, and you know it_," she hissed, twining herself around Harry's upper body. "_Do not submit to the man, child, and that will make my job of watching over you just so much easier_."

"_Your concern is overwhelming_," Harry said with a slight smile as he looked around the shop. The snakes had apparently fully recovered from any suffering they'd gone through during the unwelcome intrusion and were all lounging around, many of them in the midst of various conversations with one another. "_He's probably going to be coming back today._"

Bull looked over at him. "_He's probably going to show back up within the next hour, child_," he said. "_I somehow doubt that Dark Lords are known for their patience, and I find it almost remarkable that he didn't show up while you were asleep_."

Harry scowled, but walked into the back office and looked over the few messages that had been delivered over the night. Nothing too urgent caught his attention, and he frowned - he'd been hoping for a distraction from the things he'd learned the afternoon before. No such luck. He then moved onto the few remaining assignments that he had for Tobias, hoping for a distraction there, but there was no such luck. With a growl, he fell back into the black leather armchair next to the desk.

"_Fuck_," he hissed, looking down at Aviva. "_He's going to ask about you, you know. About us, I suppose, and about your eyes._"

"_All the more reason for you not to bow to him_," she replied almost primly before moving onto the desk to bask in the sunlight pouring in through the open window. "_Do not answer any of his questions until you are satisfied with his answers_."

"_I hadn't planned on bowing to anyone, Aviva_," he replied, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes.

...

A chime sounded and someone walked into the front of the shop.

"Come back tomorrow!" Harry called, standing up in case whoever it was didn't go away. "We're closed!"

"I'm sure you are," Tom called back. "It's best if the shop stays that way for the remainder of the day, as well." He walked into the back office. "I believe you still have questions requiring answers."

Bull followed Tom into the room, his mood noticeably lightened. "_Make this entertaining for us, would you_?" he asked, looking over at Harry.

The young man glared at the anaconda, ignoring Tom's inspection of him as he did so. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked, not looking away from the anaconda.

"I informed you at the end of our conversation yesterday that I would return, did I not?" Tom asked.

Harry glared at him. "Get out."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me clear enough. Get out," Harry snapped, and all the lights in the shop suddenly cracked and exploded, eliciting a number of curses from the snakes that had been basking under the lights. "I don't want you inside this shop!"

Tom smirked. "I had wondered why you were so composed yesterday," he commented, completely unaffected by the sudden spike of magic. "It is rather unnerving when you inform someone that you killed their parents and receive no reaction, especially someone as young as yourself."

"I'm not upset about that because I don't remember my parents," Harry snapped.

Tom remained silent, simply watching the young man.

"I've had a better life here than I could have had anywhere else, and I'm incredibly tempted to have you bitten by a basilisk."

"And here I thought you weren't upset," Tom said gently. "What has you angry?"

Harry glared at him. "What has me angry is the fact that it's your fault I spent the first six years of my life being treated like total shit by people who constantly told me that I'd be better off dead!" he yelled. His hands clenched into fists, and he forced himself not to hit the older man, but Harry seemed completely oblivious to the grey cloud seeping out of him as he lost his self-control. "Four ribs, both my arms, and a leg broken before I learned how to speak in English!" he yelled, this time swinging a fist at Tom's jaw.

Tom's eyes narrowed, but he caught the first without flinching. "You will refrain from striking me," he said calmly.

That reaction had Harry dumbstruck. "How can you be so calm about this?"

"You grew up in a house full of venomous snakes," Tom replied. "You have clearly picked up some of their tendencies, and I do not particularly feel like being bitten this morning."

Harry smirked a bit. "I'm not going bite you," he said coldly.

Aviva turned her head over toward the two of them. "_Child, you merely need to give the word and I'll do it for you myself,_" she hissed lazily.

"You'll forgive me if I don't take your word for it," Tom said, looking pointedly over at Aviva. "Have you given any thought to what we discussed yesterday?"

"I couldn't stop thinking about that," Harry said irritably, pulling his hand out of Tom's hold and stepping away from the man.

"And your thoughts?"

"You didn't answer all of my questions."

"No, I suppose I didn't," he said. "Would you like to go somewhere that we can finish that conversation?"

Harry watched Tom for a long moment before motioning at the stairs just behind the older man. "We can go back up where we talked yesterday, I guess," he said.

Tom nodded. "After you."

Harry shook his head. "I have to put the wards back up so that no one can interrupt our conversation," he said.

...

"What questions did I not answer?" Tom asked, making himself comfortable on the couch. He watched amusedly as three snakes immediately moved closer to him.

"Why did you go into limbo after attacking me?" Harry asked.

"I don't recall that being one of the questions yesterday," Tom replied as he watched Harry follow him into the sitting room.

Harry glared at him before taking a seat in the armchair across from the couch. "I'd tell you to indulge me, but I don't suppose Dark Lords take orders all that well," he said as Aviva moved into his lap. He didn't look away from her as he started petting her head.

Tom smirked. "You will do well with the proper training," he said.

"Limbo," Harry said coldly.

"After I killed your parents, I attempted to kill you," Tom said rather nonchalantly. "That action had an unforeseen consequence." He hesitated for a long moment.

Harry looked over at the older man. "What sort of consequence?" he asked, though his tone lightened a bit.

"I was stripped of my body, and I found myself drifting somewhere between dead and alive," Tom said. He glanced over at Aviva. "Certain circumstances allowed me to get my hands on one of the last surviving Sorcerer's Stones about six years ago."

"And you used that stone to get your body back?" Harry asked.

Tom said nothing for a moment. "I used a ritual that worked as something of a trade: my body was returned to me and the Stone was destroyed," he said. He shifted a bit in his seat before looking over at Harry with a blank expression on his face. "What other questions did I not address?" he asked.

Harry stared at Tom. His hands fell still.

Aviva flicked her tongue out in Tom's direction. "_I, for one, would like to know why the supposed Dark Lord is being so willing to subject himself to an interrogation with my child_," she hissed before nudging Harry's hands with her head, prompting him to start petting her again.

Tom glanced down at her but said nothing.

"How does the Longbottom person figure into whatever your grand scheme is?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"When you stayed for lunch with Cain, you mentioned that you were looking for a way to kill Longbottom. If he's not a part of the prophecy, then why are you still trying to kill him?" Harry asked.

Tom leaned back in the sofa and smirked a bit. "The boy has gotten in my way one time too many," he said. "Which, among itself is not a mistake punishable by death, but he is widely considered the guiding light of the supposedly secret group fighting against me. Eliminating Longbottom will not only make my life so much easier, but it will deliver a crushing blow to my enemies that will allow me to make the final moves to secure my victory," he added.

"So you're willing to kill someone for a political reason?" Harry asked curiously.

Tom shrugged slightly. "I've done it before and I have no qualms about doing so again, as long as the motivations are beneficial to me," he said. "One does not, after all, become a Dark Lord with clean hands and conscience."

Harry fell silent, choosing instead to just watch the older man for a long moment. "And how does having your match with you figure into all of this?"

Tom looked over at Harry. "That, Harry, is the one thing that I refuse to speak about until we are safe behind the walls and wards of my home," he said. "You may believe your courtyard to be safe, but I am not willing to take any chances." He straightened himself a bit. "Now, am I correct in my assumptions that you are able to communicate with the snakes in this shop?" he asked.

Harry glanced down at Aviva. "It would certainly make working here less dangerous if I possessed an ability like that," he said. "But I don't communicate with the snakes any more than any other person who comes into the shop."

Tom's lips thinned and he hummed quietly, clearly unsatisfied with Harry's answer.

A calm silence enveloped the two of them for a brief moment before Harry looked back over at Tom.

"Why does a Dark Lord have so much spare time on his hands?" he asked suddenly.

"I can do nothing more to influence the plans that I currently have in motion, and a large portion of my followers are still under the impression that I am dead," Tom said. "It is not a coincidence that only my most loyal followers are aware of the fact that I am no longer in limbo," he added.

"You had traitors?" Harry asked, quick to pick up on what was left unsaid.

Tom nodded. "Far too many for my comfort, and I am much less willing to take risks this time around," he said.

"Isn't one traitor too many?" Harry asked.

Tom smirked. "Far too many," he said almost cryptically.

"And the plans that you have in motion are either too important or too far along for you to risk someone coming in and screwing them up," Harry said quietly.

"Again, I'm impressed."

"But how have you been able to stay so hidden for six years?" Harry asked.

"Because the people who think they can kill me are all under the impression that I am no longer among the living." Tom paused. "There is one man who fancies himself my greatest enemy, though. He is the only one who remembers my name when I was a child, and he is the only one who poses a serious threat to me," he said. "However, he is under the incredibly fortunate assumption that I abhor my name enough that I will never use it again."

"Your name?"

"There is deliberate reason that my alias is Thomas Gamine," he said.

Harry grinned slightly. "You're taunting the man?"

"People tend to underestimate the enjoyment found in rather petty torment," Tom said. "And this man likes to fancy himself invincible, which makes this all just that much more satisfying. Would you like to join me for something to eat?" he asked.

"We could head to Pepper's, if you'd like," Harry suggested.

Tom shook his head. "I was thinking of something a bit more intimate," he said quietly. "Would you care to join me at my manor for lunch?" he asked.

Harry hesitated a moment. His hands paused in petting Aviva before resuming, though the slight trembling in his hands did not go unnoticed.

"You are afraid of me?" Tom asked.

Harry shook his head, looking down at the basilisk in his lap.

"And yet your hands tremble," Tom said. "I have already told you that I will not have your blood on my hands."

"There are plenty of ways to hurt someone without necessarily drawing blood," Harry said. "And I don't trust you."

Tom smiled slightly. "I have missed that sense of blunt honesty," he said. "My followers know better than to speak so freely to me."

Harry just watched Tom for a moment.

"You have, though, taken a number of liberties with me, and that does not go without charge," Tom said. "You will owe me something for that," he added quietly.

"And how will you make me pay?"

"I haven't yet decided," Tom said. "If I give you my word that you will come to no harm, would you be interested in joining me for lunch in my manor?" he asked.

Harry hesitated for a long moment. "As long as I get your word, I suppose I could," he said quietly.

Tom smirked and held up his hand. "Fantastic," he said. "Now, I give you my word as a Dark Lord that you will come to no harm this afternoon if you join me for lunch." A black snake, constructed entirely of shadows, drifted out of the palm of his hand and wrapped itself around Harry's neck before dissolving back into thin air. "Are you satisfied?" he asked.

"Not really," Harry said. "But I'm not going to ask any more of you than I already have," he added when he noticed Tom's eyes narrow slightly.

"I very much doubt that," Tom said quietly before standing up.

"Aviva can come with us, can't she?" Harry asked, standing up and looking over at Thomas. "I somehow doubt that the two of you would allow yourselves to be separated," he said before offering his hand to Harry.

Harry made sure that Aviva was wrapped securely around his torso before looking at the hand offered to him. "Why?"

"Because even if you manage to Apparate into my manor, the wards I have in place will tear you to shreds," Tom said with a barely there smirk.

Harry glanced over at the staircase before reaching out and taking hold of Tom's hand.

The two of them disappeared with a nearly inaudible 'pop'.


	11. Vier II

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: Things are going to start getting a bit violent in this chapter. (And as there is a war going on in this story, the violence will be here for a while.) Just a warning that you might not like Tom that much at the end of the chapter. Or you might like him more. But whatever. Here's to a happy holiday and an even happier New Year's Eve.

...

Chapter 11: Vier II

...

They reappeared in the hallway of Tom's Manor almost instantly.

A small, frightened house elf popped in front of Tom as the older man pulled off his traveling cloak and set it on a nearby table. "Master's snake is eating other house elves, Master," it said piteously, wringing it's small green hands together. "Mixie is telling the rest of them to hide, but Master's snake keeps finding them."

Tom smirked slightly. "Then they had best find a better hiding place," he said coolly.

The house elf, Mixie apparently, whimpered but disappeared with a loud pop.

"Your snake really eats house elves?" Harry asked.

"Only when they have the misfortune of getting in her way when I have told them countless times that they will serve as food for her if they catch her attention," Tom said almost nonchalantly. He glanced down at Aviva. "Your basilisk is more than welcome to join Nagini in the hunt, if she so desires," he added.

Harry glanced down at Aviva, who flickered her tongue in and out, tasting the air where the house elf had been standing just seconds ago. He looked back up at Tom. "Where were you planning on having our conversation?" he asked.

"There's something of a sunroom on the second floor, and I will have the house elves deliver lunch to us there," Tom said. "Unless you'd prefer something else?"

Harry shook his head, offering the Dark Lord a weak smile. "I suppose this is something that I ought to be dreading," he said.

Tom smirked. "Not at all. You have done nothing to provoke me, and while this conversation will bring up some things that neither of us are going to be too keen on talking about, there is nothing for you to be afraid of," he said. "Follow me."

...

Once they arrived in the sunroom, Tom summoned a house elf and delivered to it his instructions for lunch while Harry took in the room.

The "something of a sunroom" was as big as the entire main floor of Serpicos, and Cain's office in the back room. There were a number of plants and trees throughout the room, reminding Harry of a greenhouse, and the entire far wall was constructed of glass, displaying the picturesque country outside of Tom's Manor. There was even a stream threading throughout the room, and it ended in a rather large pond against the glass wall.

"This place is fantastic," Harry murmured, looking around.

"I constructed it with Nagini in mind," Tom said, walking over to Harry and putting his hand on the small of the younger man's back. "But it is easily my favorite room in the Manor," he said.

Harry nodded a bit, glancing up at the ceiling. It had been charmed to mimic the weather outside, and at the moment, a bright sun shone down in the room while a number of clouds danced across the ceiling-sky. "Brilliant," he whispered.

Tom smiled slightly, though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "That came about as inspiration from my school days," he said. "Hogwarts has a similar enchantment in the main dining hall, but it has been years since I have returned there."

"You went to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, looking over at Tom.

"About half a century ago, but yes," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"When I was eleven, Cain kept burning the letters that invited me to attend school there," he said.

Tom chuckled. "That was wise of him," he said quietly, leading Harry toward the glass wall.

Near the shore of the pond, underneath the shade of a large tree, were two brown leather armchairs and a small, narrow table between them. A house elf popped in and put a bottle of nettle wine and two glasses on the table before disappearing.

"Why was it wise of him?" Harry asked as they approached the chairs.

"The years I went to school there and the times prior were well done, but the current headmaster is slowly running the school into the ground," Tom said. "And the ones who suffer -"

"Are the students," Harry interjected.

Tom nodded.

"Who's the headmaster?" he asked, watching as Aviva slid off of him and made her way toward the pond to bask in the sunlight.

Tom watched the basilisk settle on the shore of the pond. "There are animals in that pond that may consider her to be prey," he said.

"Then those animals will pay for that mistake by being her lunch," Harry said, watching Aviva for a moment longer before turning back to Tom. "Who's the current headmaster?" he asked.

"You had the misfortune of meeting him the other day. Albus Dumbledore."

"The man that attacked Tobias teaches children?" Harry asked as he and Tom made themselves comfortable in the chairs.

"Supposedly," Tom muttered darkly, pouring a glass of wine for both Harry and himself.

Harry grinned. "I wonder if he knew that Tobias tutored me," he said.

"It would not surprise me," Tom said. "I'm even willing to wager that the old man has been trying his best to keep you under some sort of surveillance."

"Why?"

"Because attacking you was what sent me into limbo, and he knows that. So he remains under the assumption that you are the one to save the Wizarding World from me," he said. "Though at the moment you seem less inclined to turn a wand against me than he would like."

Harry shrugged. "There's no use attacking you when you still have knowledge that I find useful," he said. "And besides, you'd kill me before I did any lasting damage."

Tom chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. "That is an odd perspective for someone as young as yourself," he said, watching the young man for a long moment.

Harry shifted uncomfortably under the perusal. "Did you have questions that you wanted me to answer?" he asked.

Tom nodded. "I do, but there is still time before we address those," he said.

A comfortable silence settled between the two of them as they took in the scenery and sipped their wine. With only the sounds of the stream in the room, it was easy enough for Harry to drop his guard almost completely.

About five minutes of amiable silence settled in before a door opened and Nagini moved quickly into the room, chasing three terrified house elves. She had almost caught one when she took note of Aviva lounging on the shore of her pond and stopped. She looked over at Tom and then at Harry.

"_I trust you brought the child back without his chaperone for a reason_," she hissed, moving up to Tom.

He said nothing, choosing instead to rest his hand on her head for a brief moment. Harry turned his attention over to the group of house elves, who were huddled together underneath a tree, watching Nagini with abject horror. He then looked over at Aviva, who was flicking her tongue rapidly in and out in the direction of the house elves. Needless to say, the last thing he expected to hear from Tom was the hissed dialect of Parseltongue.

"_Why do you insist on chasing them?_" he asked Nagini. "_You are forever complaining about their taste once you've caught and devoured one of them_."

"_That doesn't make the hunt any less enthralling,_" she hissed before looking over at Harry. "_The little one may join me in the hunt, as long as her blindness does not slow me down or get in my way," _she added. "_It is good to see you again, boy-child. I trust you have fared well_."

Harry hesitated a moment before nodding. "_Well enough,_" he hissed quietly.

"_Child!_" Aviva hissed angrily, moving back over to Harry. She wrapped herself around his chest and bared her fangs at him before continuing to scold him. "_I told you not to speak around the Lord or the royal serpent unless I told you it was safe!_"

Harry closed his eyes and bit back a groan. "_My apologies_," he said.

Aviva hissed out a string of curses that he hadn't known that she'd known, and butted her head against his chin. She loosened herself from his chest and turned her head toward Nagini. "_If your invitation to the hunt is still open, I would be honored to join you. My child seems to have lost his mind at the moment,_" she hissed before leaving the room with the much larger snake, joining Nagini in hunting the house elves.

Harry glared at the ground, not sure what to do. Aviva had never been so irritated with him that she'd left the room, and he wasn't sure he was looking forward to her behavior once she returned. If she returned at all, he thought sullenly.

A painfully tight grip on his chin distracted him as his face was jerked up so that he met Tom's angry red glare. "_You have been keeping secrets, boy_," he hissed coldly.

Harry's gaze hardened and he said nothing.

The grip on his chin tightened, and for a moment Harry was afraid that Tom was going to break his jaw. "You lied directly to my face," he said, his tone still glacially cold.

"It won't be the only time," Harry snapped. He jerked his chin out of Tom's hold and crawled over the back of the chair to put some distance between himself and the Dark Lord. "I won't spill all my secrets to near strangers, be they Dark Lords or not," he growled.

Tom smirked dangerously. "I can fix that," he snapped, setting his glass onto the side table and stepping around the chair.

Harry deliberately took a step back, reaching his hands out behind him to make sure that he didn't back himself against a tree. "Get the hell away from me," he growled, his voice sounding suddenly deeper and rougher.

"This is a dangerous game you're playing, boy," Tom growled. He raised his hand and almost casually tossed a wandless curse in Harry's direction.

The younger man ducked, and the curse splintered a tree not too far behind him. He lowered his body to get ready to run and glanced toward the door.

Tom seemed to anticipate Harry's line of thought, and he deliberately moved to place himself directly between the younger man and his current plan of escape from the room. "This disrespect is not something that I cared to see from you this afternoon," he said coldly, taking in Harry's every move.

Harry glared. "You would prefer that I save it for a later date?" he asked, his voice little more than a feral snarl. His eyes flashed amber. "How about the day that I officially claim a side in the war? Or when you finalize whatever you need for immortality?" His eyes flashed amber again as he quickly searched the room for another escape route.

Tom said nothing. He took a step toward Harry and winked at the younger man, smirking coldly when the he fell to the ground, writhing in pain. "You are making this unnecessarily difficult," he said coldly as he approached Harry.

When Tom stood directly over him, Harry glared at him through amber eyes before closing them. He bit back the screams threatening to pour out as the agony increased. It felt like hot barbed wire was being dragged through every vein in his body, and there were painful spikes digging into his skin wherever it made contact with the ground.

Tom's anger seemed to seep away the longer the younger man was writhing and whimpering in pain. Internally, he was impressed with the way Harry was able to swallow the screams that normally tore out of the throats of those subjected to this particular curse. He noticed the young man biting down on his tongue and he knelt down so that he was sitting next to Harry.

Just as he bit down on his tongue to suppress another scream, Harry opened his eyes and glared at Tom. He reached up the hand that was not grabbing for purchase on the ground and dug his fingers into Tom's closest leg as hard as he could.

Tom showed no reaction as Harry drew blood from his leg. Instead, he caressed the younger man's face almost lovingly. "Would you like me to lift the curse?" he asked quietly.

Harry groaned and nodded, clenching his eyes shut as Tom silently increased the intensity of the curse.

The older male smirked. "Then scream for me."

Harry dug his fingers deeper into Tom's leg, and the older man winced slightly, but showed no other reaction that he was in pain. Harry's fingernails scraped against the bone, and Tom increased the intensity of the curse yet again, his eyes narrowing into thin red slits. "One scream and I will lift the curse."

It took only seconds before an agonized scream ripped from Harry's mouth as he continued to writhe in agony.

Tom waited a long moment, listening to the screams from the young man before lifting the curse. The young man slumped against the ground, unconscious from the pain, and Tom carefully pried Harry's fingers out of his leg. He healed the wound and did a quick medical scan on the younger man. He wasn't seriously injured, though his body and magic would need some time to recuperate from the curse.

He picked Harry up, carrying him as a husband would his new bride, and left the room, heading up a private flight of stairs.

The young man had an incredible tolerance for pain, Tom mused as he made his way up the stairs. The defiance was delicious, and he very much doubted that the boy would be anything less than a challenge. For a moment, the Dark Lord smirked, thinking that the Fates had not done either of them too much of an inconvenience. Harry was clearly powerful, and while he lacked the sort of experience that Tom had gained by his age, all he needed was a bit of training before he was ready to take his place beside the Dark Lord.

He would have to deal with a few small matters when the young man woke up, though. The first being that Harry would confront him about what he conceived to be a broken promise, and Tom would have to have a word with the basilisk.

He nudged open a door to a private suite and carefully set Harry on the queen bed next to the window.

There was no response from the young man, and were it not for the slight rise and fall of Harry's chest, he might be inclined to think the boy dead.

"Mixie," Tom called quietly as he spelled the curtains of the room shut so as not to disturb the sleeping inhabitant.

The house elf popped up in front of him immediately. She looked around the room and her ears slumped a bit when she noticed Harry on the bed. "Is Mixie needing to be digging another grave?" she asked. "Mixie isn't wanting to put the boy in a grave."

"He is not dead," Tom said, mildly irritated. "Make sure that no one but you or I come into this room until the boy is awake, and I want to be alerted the moment he wakes up."

Mixie nodded. "Mixie will be going to tell the others to not be coming in," she said before popping away.

Tom looked back down at Harry. The young man was nearly glowing with power as his magic set about easing whatever pain he was in, and it was all Tom could do to stop himself from prodding the boy's magic with some of his own.

He scowled slightly at the urge - he hadn't felt the interest in testing another's magic in years, and he refused to revert back to habits from his days at Hogwarts. With one last glance at Harry, he turned and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind himself.


	12. Awake

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: The quote about self preservation later in this chapter is attributed to Samuel Butler.

...

Chapter 12: Awake

...

Harry drifted slowly into consciousness, at first wondering if he'd been bitten by one of the snakes in the shop. As he woke up more fully, though, and the odd sensation that his limbs were made of lead settled in, he remembered exactly what happened.

Mixie hopped up on the bed next to him. "Master's guest is waking up?" she asked. "How is Master's guest feeling?" she asked, inspecting Harry with her large, worried eyes.

Harry groaned and closed his eyes, resting his head back on the pillow. "Get away from me, would you?" he asked.

"Master's guest must be looked after until Master comes back from his meeting!" Mixie cried sharply, roughly shaking Harry's shoulder. "Master's guest must be getting better!"

Without thinking about it, Harry shoved the house elf off of the bed and onto the floor. He opened his eyes and slowly sat up a bit, wincing as the heavy numbness in his limbs seemed to intensify. "Where's Aviva?" he asked.

"Master's snake is having a snake guest in the sunroom. Mixie isn't wanting to see Master's snake or the snake guest of Master's snake, since they is chasing and eating the house elves," Mixie said, picking herself up off the floor. "What is Master's guest wanting to eat for dinner?"

"Dinner?" Harry asked as he looked around the room. "How long have I been unconscious?" he asked almost hesitantly.

"Mixie is not being allowed to answer any questions of Master's guest. Master is going to be answering the questions when he is getting back from his meeting. What is Master's guest wanting to be eating for dinner?"

"Nothing," Harry said tiredly.

Mixie eyed him oddly, not saying anything for a moment. "Mixie is going to be coming back in ten minutes to ask Master's guest if he is wanting anything for dinner then."

"Don't waste your time," Harry muttered darkly. "I don't want anything to eat until I know I'm safe at home and away from here," he said, closing his eyes again and quickly drifting back to sleep.

...

Ten minutes later, he woke up when the door opened and shut quietly. It took him only a moment before he realized that Tom was the other occupant of the room.

"Good," Tom said amiably enough when he noticed Harry staring angrily at him. "You're awake. How are you feeling?" he asked, this time with a noticeably irritated tone to his voice.

"Get out," Harry said coldly.

"I very much doubt you have the power to order me to do anything, least of all when we are still in my own Manor," Tom replied in an equally glacial voice. "I trust you are not harmed?" he asked.

"I trust you know that I hope you drop dead," Harry snapped, glaring at the man.

Tom, seeming rather nonplussed, continued to approach the bed. He silently summoned an armchair and dropped gracefully into it, not saying anything.

Harry glared at him, silently gathering and focusing his magic.

"I realize that you'd like to get revenge, and I am more than willing to allow you to try to extract a pound of flesh from me, but I would greatly appreciate it if you waited until your body and magic are both fully recovered from what you went through," Tom said almost nonchalantly. "We will have a discussion before any sort of violence takes place."

Harry snorted angrily. "It's a bit late for that, now isn't it?" he asked.

Tom remained silent for a moment. "Restrain your anger with me for one moment, would you?" he asked.

"Why?"

"I would like to know how you're feeling," Tom said. "The few people I have had under that curse have not recovered quickly and I would simply like to make sure that you are not suffering any adverse effects from the attack. How, exactly, do you feel?"

Harry paused, taking a quick mental check of his body. "My arms and legs feel heavy, and it feels like I'm recovering from the worst hangover on the face of the planet," he said. "And my fingers and toes are tingling."

"Tingling how?"

"Tingling like it feels like ants are biting my fingers and toes," Harry said.

Tom nodded understandably. "That's a build-up of your magic. Oftentimes the more powerful wizards find their magic gets restless when they've been on bed-rest for one reason or another," he said. "Once you stretch out your arms and legs and cast some spells, the tingling feelings will go away," he added.

"I'm only on bed-rest because you attacked me!" Harry snapped.

"We will get to that in a moment," Tom said before snapping his fingers.

Mixie appeared at his side. "What is it that Master is needing from Mixie?" she asked, looking between Tom and Harry.

"Get me a glass of water and the Nutritional Potions on the third shelf of the Potions storage room," Tom instructed. "And then release half a dozen rabbits into the sunroom for the two snakes in there," he added, almost as an afterthought.

Mixie nodded and disappeared with a loud 'pop.'

"Now, to get back to what you consider the most pressing matter at hand," Tom said.

Harry nodded, his gaze hardening as he sat up in the bed. "You broke your word," he said.

"I did," Tom said plainly. "Though one could make the argument that, given what I do for a living, an action like that should have been expected."

That statement seemed to put Harry immediately on edge, and he bared his teeth at Tom while he pressed his back against the headboard. "You gave me your word that you would not hurt me!" he all but snarled.

"I gave you my word that you would come to no harm if you joined me for lunch," Tom said coolly, showing no sign that he was affected by the glare being leveled at him. "Lying to me is not something that I will accept, regardless of any promises I have made to you."

Harry shifted a bit, straightening himself a bit. "You said I wouldn't get hurt as long as I didn't provoke you!" he snapped.

"You did not think I would consider lying directly to my face to be provoking me?" Tom asked, arching an eyebrow as he shifted in his seat and carefully watched Harry. "And as I informed you that we are Matches, and I want you with me, how, exactly, did you expect to get away with that?" he asked.

"Self preservation is the first law of nature," Harry said coldly, deliberately ignoring the older man's second question. "That was the first thing that Tobias taught me, and I am not going to abandon that principle for anyone, regardless of their rank."

"He is a smart man, but that still doesn't change the fact that I do not appreciate being lied to," Tom said.

"And I do not appreciate being cursed into unconsciousness for ... How long have I been unconscious, anyway?" he asked.

"A bit more than two days," Tom said. "It's about half past ten at night, if it helps."

"Great," Harry muttered darkly. He squirmed out from under the covers on the bed, ignoring the pounding in his head as he did so, and planted his feet on the ground. He didn't move to push himself to his feet, instead choosing to watch Tom almost curiously. "Answer a question for me," he said irritably.

"Join me for something to eat," Tom countered.

"It's late," Harry said. "And I don't trust you in the least bit."

Tom smirked slightly. "You don't have to trust me to join me for something to eat," he said.

"You could have poisoned the food," Harry said quietly, carefully pushing himself to his feet. "Some way of getting even more suffering out of me."

"To what gain?" Tom asked. "I am not going to put you through any unnecessary suffering, least of all at my dining table." He watched as Harry gently pushed himself to his feet.

The younger man stumbled a bit as his head started spinning, but managed to catch himself from falling by grabbing the arms of the chair that Tom was sitting in.

Tom watched him with a barely present smirk on his face. "Well," he said after a brief pause. "If I am honest with you, this is more of what I had in mind when I brought you to my Manor," he said quietly.

"You wanted me weak and at your mercy?" Harry asked, leaning back a bit and waiting for the world to stop spinning.

"I would phrase it differently," Tom said. "Do you need any assistance?" he asked.

Harry glared at him. "Not from you," he said irritably, forcing himself to his feet and taking a step back. "What were you planning on eating at ten thirty at night?" he asked.

"I am willing to be accommodating," Tom said.

Mixie chose that moment to reappear back in the room with the glass of water and three vials of bright blue potions. "Mixie is bringing the potions and the water," she said, handing the potions to Tom and the glass of water to Harry, who nodded thankfully to the house elf, which then turned back to Tom. "Is Mixie needing to be doing anything else for Master?" she asked.

"Harry," Tom said calmly, momentarily ignoring the house elf watching him. "Is there something specific that you would like to eat for dinner this evening?" he asked.

The younger man thought about it for a long moment before looking over at Tom and smirking. "Have you ever had roast guinea pig?" he asked.

"I have, actually," Tom replied. "Have you ever had octopus?" he asked.

"At midnight?" Harry asked incredulously.

Tom didn't say anything, as he watched Harry drink the glass of water and set it onto the side table next to the bed.

Harry hesitated for a moment. "There hasn't been much as far as seafood in the shop," he admitted. "I've only ever had salmon and tuna fish," he added.

"Then we'll save the fish for another time," Tom said. "We'll stick with something light for now, I suppose."

"Mixie can be fixing triangle sandwiches for Master and Master's guest," the house elf offered. "With ham and turkey," she said.

Tom nodded. "That will be fine. We will be in the dining room shortly," he said. "Have it ready for us when we get there."

Mixie nodded fervently before disappearing from the room.

Harry took a few steps forward, and Tom stood up, looking ready to help Harry should it be necessary. "I can walk fine on my own," Harry said testily, looking sharply over at Tom when his left leg momentarily went limp. He eyed the vials in Tom's hands. "And I'm not going to drink any potions that you've been handling."

"Only one of them is for you, and it will help stop any further feelings of dizziness," he said. "Of course, if you'd rather experience that sensation again, there's nothing I will do to stop you," he added.

Harry looked at the other two potions. "Then what are the other two for?" he asked.

Tom slipped the two vials into the pocket of his robes and said nothing.

Harry sighed heavily. "Before we go to the dining hall, I need to send an Owl to Tobias," he said. "He needs to know that I'm still alive and relatively unharmed, unless you want a pretty much uncontrollable, well, um ... " he trailed off, not wanting to violate Tobias' confidence by telling Tom what he was.

"I am aware that Tobias is a sort of demon," Tom said almost conversationally. "And you will be provided with the necessary means to contact him before we eat dinner."

...

Half an hour later, after having sent a brief letter to Tobias, informing the demon that he was alive and would be home within the next few hours, Harry found himself sitting in a small, private dining room with Tom. He absently picked at the triangle-shaped sandwiches on the plate in front of him.

Tom watched Harry for a long moment. "I'm going to ask you a question, and I do not want to be lied to again," he said, in a quiet but firm manner.

"I'm not going to promise anything," Harry said, shooting a mild glare at the older man as he nibbled on a turkey sandwich.

Tom smirked but said nothing for a moment. He set down the small sandwich corner he'd been eating and looked over at Harry. "During our little altercation -"

"That's really what you're choosing to call whatever the hell you did to me?" Harry snapped, not caring that he was interrupting Tom. He dropped his piece of sandwich onto the plate and opened his mouth to continue speaking, but Tom held up his hand.

"Do not interrupt me again," he said coolly. "During our little altercation, your eyes momentarily changed color, from green to an amber color. Why?"

"Why should I tell you?" Harry growled out, pushing himself against the back of the chair in an attempt to put more distance between himself and Tom. "You could just decide to send another curse at me and I'd end up unconscious for another three days."

Tom smirked. "I cursed you because you lied to me. Tell me the truth and there will be no reason for there to be a recurrence of that experience," he said.

Harry hesitated for a long moment, thinking about how to phrase the answer to Tom's question. "About eight months before you first showed up in the shop, I spoke with Tobias about how one might go about learning an Animagus transformation," he said. "He helped me brew the potion to learn what my animal is, and he's been making sure that I don't hurt myself as I go through the more difficult steps of the process."

"You have yet to explain why there was a change in your eye color," Tom said, taking a sip of red wine from his glass on the table.

Harry grinned over at Tom. "Don't interrupt me again," he said in an almost sing-song tone of voice. "Anyway, according to Tobias, I'm at the point where my magic is adapting to my animal in a permanent manner," he said.

Tom remained silent, waiting for the younger man to continue on with his explanation. "Since my animal is going to grow as I do, and I'm still not done growing, the magic is going to continue adapting to the animal until I'm done growing. And according to Tobias, the animal will grab control of some of the my magic when I'm feeling some of the baser emotions," he said. "Like when I'm feeling cornered and threatened."

Tom leaned forward a bit, all signs of his irritation quickly melting away. "Have you gone through any sort of involuntary transformation?"

Harry shook his head. "No," he said. "Why? Should I have?" he asked.

Tom shook his head slightly. "At the height of the war a number of years ago, during some of the more vicious battles, I did witness some of my followers transform mid-battle," he said. "Though it only happened when they thought it was the last thing they could do to evade being captured by the enemy, or when their wands had been snapped by the Light wizards and they were facing death or torture," he added.

"Was it a partial transformation?" Harry asked curiously.

"It depended on how powerful they were, and how much mental control they had at the moment," Tom said. "It might be easy enough for you to guess that - "

"The more powerful they were and the less control they had, the more complete the transformation," Harry said, sitting up and picking up his piece of sandwich again.

Tom nodded. "For example, Lucius, who keeps an almost obsessive control over himself, partially transformed when two of the Aurors cornered him and were about to kill him. As his animal is some kind of eagle, he grew wings," he said.

Harry looked over at him. "Were the wings proportional to the rest of his body?" he asked.

"They were," Tom said. "And that event has only solidified the widespread rumors that he has some sort of magical creature in his family line that he's managed to keep a secret."

"But you know better?"

"He has pledged his life to fight for me," Tom said. "And I have known him since shortly after his birth, so he has no reason to lie to me."

Harry scowled quietly but didn't say anything, choosing instead to pick at the sandwich in his hands.

...

Twenty minutes later, after they'd finished the sandwiches in an increasingly awkward silence, Tom received an Owl from Tobias. The demon was requesting immediate permission to enter his Manor through the fireplace. Tom silently adjusted the wards to allow the entrance, and he turned to look over at Harry. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Harry looked up at him with blank green eyes. "I want to go home," he said. The events of the past few days were starting to sink in, and he was pulling into himself. "I want to get Aviva and I want to go home," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Tom nodded and stood. "Your demon is going to be coming through the fireplace in my sitting room any moment," he said. "Let's go find your basilisk and we can wait in that room until he gets there."

Harry nodded silently and followed the Dark Lord out of the room.

When they found Aviva in the sunroom with Nagini, both snakes were thankfully silent. Aviva merely wound herself around Harry's torso and gently butted her head against the young man's chin, while Nagini just watched the interaction as Tom's hand rested lightly on her head.

...

It didn't take too long after they'd made it to the sitting room for the fireplace to flare to life and Tobias' head appeared in the dark green flames.

Tom watched almost curiously as Harry suddenly fell shy with the appearance of the blond demon. "Evening, Tobias," he said conversationally.

Tobias stalked through the fireplace, sending a glare in Tom's direction, before immediately focusing all his attention on Harry. "You aren't hurt, are you?" he asked before starting to inspect the younger man for any sort of injuries.

"He is fine," Tom said.

"Yes, well, I was asking him, not you," Tobias muttered darkly, not looking at Tom as he nudged Aviva aside and tugged Harry's shirt collar open. He noticed a bruise in the shape of a small handprint and his black eyes narrowed dangerously. "I thought you said you weren't hurt, little boy," he snapped, tugging Harry's chin up so that the younger man was forced to meet his gaze.

Harry remained stubbornly silent.

Tom took half a step forward to inspect the bruise more closely. "That is likely from my house elf," he said quietly.

"So now you've not only attacked my boy, you've taught your servants to do it as well?" Tobias asked, gathering a nearly comatose Harry into his arms, ignoring the mildly irritated hiss from Aviva as he did so.

Tom remained silent, though the temperature in the room had lowered considerably.

Tobias growled lowly at the Dark Lord as he carefully escorted Harry to the fireplace. He looked down at Harry, who reluctantly met his gaze after a moment, and he handed the younger man enough Floo powder to get back to shop. He leaned down enough so that his mouth was about level with Harry's ear. "Go straight back to the shop, lock the doors, and wait in your room upstairs for me to get back," Tobias said so that only Harry could hear him.

Harry nodded silently and disappeared into the flames with only a murmur as to his destination.

As soon as he was gone, Tobias turned on Tom.

Before he said anything, though, Tom smirked at him. "You are only going to make it out of here alive," he said to the demon. "How far you step over your boundaries depends entirely on how bloody you are when you leave."

Tobias returned the smirk with a more feral one of his own. "You are the Dark Lord and I am merely a demon," he said in a strangely warm tone of voice. "And as such, I am not permitted to attack you."

"You are welcome to try, demon," Tom purred dangerously. "I will even give you the benefit of the first shot."

Tobias brushed his blond hair out of his eyes, grinning wickedly. "Tempting me into disobeying the laws of my kind is not going to work, and as I am currently the guardian of the boy that you so desperately want under you, it is not a wise move on your part." he said. "Keep in mind that I am still well regarded in my home and you cannot make it into that realm without the blessing of my king and queen," he said.

"What point are you trying to get across?" Tom asked, watching Tobias irately.

Tobias smirked and walked over to the fireplace. "My point, Dark Lord, is that I am more than willing to hide my little boy in a place where you can never get your claws into him again," he said, tossing his Floo powder into the fireplace. He stepped into the fireplace and bowed to the Dark Lord with an overly extravagant flourish before announcing his destination.


	13. Enemies Made

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

...

Chapter 13: Enemies Made

...

As soon as they were back in the safety of the shop and Harry had made sure that the wards were secured so that no one else could get into the shop or the loft above it, the younger man found himself backed up against the wall of the sitting room by a clearly worried demon.

Tobias was glaring at him, barely restraining himself from growling as he spoke. "I hope you've got a damn good explanation for the bullshit you pulled," he snapped, bracing his hands on the wall just above Harry's shoulders.

"Was I really gone for three days?" Harry asked quietly, looking up at Tobias with a confused expression on his face.

Tobias relaxed a bit. "You were," he said as the two of them watched as Aviva headed out of the room, likely in search of Bull. "But keep in mind that there is a distinct difference between being gone and being abducted," he added. "Open your mouth."

Harry closed his mouth with an audible click and shook his head. "I'm not in the mood for any of your sick little games," he muttered darkly.

"Yes, and you've done a fantastic job proving how well you can play the sick little games of someone much more dangerous than me," Tobias snapped. "I want to make sure that you didn't bite through your tongue."

"How would you know to check that?" Harry asked before doing as he was told.

"Stick out your tongue," Tobias said. He inspected the boy's tongue for a brief moment before nodding and lightly slapping his cheek. "Good," he said with a small smile. "And you are not the first person who has been a victim of that specific curse," he added.

"Did he do the same thing to Cain after he first showed up here?" Harry asked, rubbing his cheek where Tobias had hit him.

Tobias smirked slightly. "No," he said. "Cain got off lucky compared to you. The Dark Lord only used the Cruciatus curse, and a handful of different cutting curses. How are you feeling?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Harry's shoulders.

"A bit tired," Harry admitted, leaning into the sudden embrace from Tobias. "Even though I slept for three days."

"You were unconscious for three days, little boy, because you failed to listen to what I told you when Tom first showed up," Tobias murmured, planting a kiss on Harry's head. "Now, Cain is supposed to be coming back in the next few hours," he said, escorting the younger man to his bedroom. "He'll be here when you wake up."

"You're not going to tell him what happened, are you?" Harry asked, looking up at Tobias.

The incubus shook his head. "I think we can keep this between us," he said quietly. "As long as you promise not to put yourself in another situation like that with the Dark Lord," he added.

Harry grinned. "I'll do my best," he said quietly, biting back a yawn. "Make sure Aviva doesn't try to run away," he added.

"You're falling asleep on your feet, little boy," Tobias said quietly.

Harry nodded a bit, resting his head against Tobias' chest as they headed into his bedroom.

"Do you want me to tuck you in and sing you a lullaby?" Tobias asked with a smirk. "Or would you prefer a goodnight kiss?" he asked.

Harry stepped out of Tobias' embrace, a light scowl on his face. "How about I let you sleep on the couch in the sitting room and I don't tell Cain that you tried to molest me while I was asleep and defenseless?" he suggested.

Tobias opened his mouth to respond, but after a brief pause, he closed his mouth and smirked coldly. "Well played, little boy," he said. "Sleep tight," he added.

"Good night, Toby," Harry said before pulling his shirt off and heading to his bed.

Tobias watched for a moment as Harry tossed his shirt onto the floor and pulled his jeans off. "That boy does not make things easy," he muttered to himself before heading into the sitting room to fashion a bed for himself.

Harry grinned to himself, having heard exactly what Tobias said, before sliding into bed and under the black down comforter on the bed.

He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

...

Harry woke up abruptly as he was jerked out of his bed by a strange man.

"What is your name?" the man growled. He looked Harry over and his eyes narrowed when he noticed the young man was naked. "Pull some pants on," he muttered darkly. "And then tell me your name."

"I'm Prince fucking Henry," Harry said with a smirk as he reached for the pair of baggy dark blue jeans that he'd taken off only a few hours ago. "Who the hell are you?" he asked as he pulled the jeans on.

"That is none of your concern," the man said before he tossed Harry one of the sweatshirts that was on the floor by his feet. "You're coming with me," he snapped.

"For what reason?" Harry asked.

A feral snarl from the sitting room just outside caught Harry's attention and he shoved past the man to make it into the living room. As soon as his back was to the stranger, his arms were jerked back behind him and his wrists were bound together.

"You're under arrest," the man snapped, holding onto Harry's wrists. "For assaulting an Auror."

Harry was about to protest when he noticed Tobias' situation.

The demon was restrained in a completely over the top manner. From his shoulders to his wrists, there were leather straps keeping his arms bound behind his back, and his legs were shackled together. There were two men holding him to the couch, and a third man was chanting in Latin while holding a Christian crucifix against Tobias' forehead, all of them ignoring Tobias' growled curses.

"Get this thing the fuck off me!" Tobias shrieked as the bronze crucifix was once again pressed against his forehead.

"What the hell are you doing to him?" Harry yelled, struggling against the man's hold on his arms. "Let him go!"

The man holding Harry back scoffed. "Clearly the demon has gotten his hooks into you," he muttered darkly. "He's corrupted you. We'll make sure that he pays for that, too, don't worry."

Harry looked over at the man and smirked. "I don't need my tutor's influence to be corrupted," he said in an almost calm voice. "Let me go and I'll show you how corrupt I am all on my own."

The man sneered at him before shoving Harry to his knees. "I was just going to take you into custody and let my friends here have their fun with the beast, but if you're going to be mouthy, you can just watch this," he snapped.

Harry growled, but anything he said was drowned out by a bloodcurdling scream from Tobias as the crucifix started to burn into his forehead. He clenched his eyes shut and tried to focus his magic to help the blond. After a few seconds, the man behind him seemed to figure out what he was doing and he kicked Harry between his shoulder blades, sending the younger man sprawling to the floor.

Aviva poked her head out from under the couch that Tobias was on and flicked her tongue out in Harry's direction. "_Child_?" she asked worriedly.

"What the fuck kind of snake is that?" the man behind Harry asked.

"Hmm? Oh, her? She's a rat snake," Harry said almost conversationally. "Quite honestly the most harmless snake in the shop," he said. "She's a bit shy, though."

The man fell silent, but his attention went back to the half-cocked exorcism taking place on the couch. He watched as Aviva moved closer to Harry, wrapping herself loosely around his neck.

"_Child, you and the demon smell like blood,_" she hissed quietly into his ear. "_What do you need me to do?_" she asked.

Harry pressed a kiss to her head. "_Do not abandon me,_" he replied, hoping that Tobias' screams would hide his quiet hissing.

"_It never crossed my mind, child_," she hissed. "_What else do you need from me?_" she asked.

"_Kill the men attacking Tobias,_" Harry hissed.

She butted her head gently against his head before disappearing back under the couch, seeming completely unaffected by the screams that were still being ripped from Tobias.

Harry looked over his shoulder at the man who had kicked him to the floor.

"What the hell are you looking at, boy?" the man asked, sneering down at Harry.

"I'm looking at the first man I'm going to kill," Harry said, rolling over and making a quick maneuver so that his hands were in front of him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" the man asked, pulling his wand from his pocket.

Harry smirked, glancing over at the men restraining Tobias. "London bridge is falling down," he said as the two men fell to the floor, dead before they hit the ground.

The man pointed his wand at Harry's face, but his self-satisfied grin faltered when Harry's eyes flashed amber. "What the hell are you doing now?" he asked.

Harry said nothing, but his body started changing.

As the man holding the crucifix collapsed to the ground, dead, Harry had completely transformed into a large black jaguar and was turning on the man that had first pulled him out of bed.

"Nice kitty," the man said, rapidly backing up as Harry approached him. "Behave yourself."

Harry growled loudly, catching the attention of both Tobias and Aviva. The basilisk quickly wrapped herself around Tobias' chest, keeping the man sitting on the couch.

The man pointed his wand at Harry, but the jaguar jumped at him, clawing at the man's chest and biting through his neck.

Only when the man was nearly beheaded did Aviva allow Tobias to stand up and approach the jaguar. "Harry?" he asked almost hesitantly.

Harry turned to face the man, apparently not caring that there was a chunk of his attacker's skin hanging from his mouth. He showed no signs that he was changing out of his Animagus form.

Tobias rubbed his forehead, wincing when he made contact with his burnt skin. "Shit," he muttered, sitting on the ground in front of the jaguar and plucking the length of human skin out of the big cat's mouth. "You didn't do this voluntarily, did you?"

Harry shook his head before laying down in front of Tobias.

"Alright," the demon said, running a hand through his chin length blonde hair. "I'm going to ask you a few questions, and then I'm going to try to talk you through the process to changing out of this form," he said. "First, are you feeling any less stressed?" he asked.

Harry nodded his head a bit and started purring.

"Good. Do you remember any part of your transformation, and does anything feel strange, or at all out of place?" he asked.

The jaguar shook his head again and sat up. Harry looked pointedly over at the fireplace and started to wag his tail a bit.

Tobias quickly picked up on the hint. "They're tracking the Floo system," he said quietly. "That's why they raided the shop in the first place. And you need to change out of your Animagus form so that I can make sure you're not hurt. I'm going to talk you through it," he said. "I just need you to stay calm and do exactly what I tell you."

...

About half an hour later, Harry pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and looked over at Tobias. "Who the hell was that?" he asked.

"Those would be the Aurors that I've told you about," Tobias said.

"The soldiers for the Ministry?" Harry asked as he pulled on a dark green tank top and a black hoodie. "Why would they raid here and try to exorcise you?" he asked.

Tobias hesitated for a long moment. "The body that I am in was not always mine," he said. "Not many incubi can live without a host body, and I was one of them."

"But you're here," Harry said. He glanced over at Aviva. "_Tell the other snakes that the shop is no longer safe_," he hissed.

Tobias smirked. "I was one of the extremely fortunate ones," he said. "The man who used to own this body summoned me. He wanted to die, and he wanted to offer his body to the Dark Arts. It was an offer that none of my kind would ever refuse," he said. "The Light soldiers will always try to expel me from my body, but the soul of the human left the body, making it mine. Exorcisms will not work." He watched as Harry pulled on a pair of dragon-hide boots. "Where exactly do you plan on going?" he asked.

"The place we left just a few hours ago," Harry said, ignoring the look that Tobias sent him at his statement.

Aviva came back into the room and wrapped herself around Harry's torso. "_The Light soldiers killed the snakes before coming into the loft_," she hissed angrily. "_There are no snakes alive in the shop, other than myself._"

"_Not even Bull_?"

Aviva remained silent for a moment. "_Do not go downstairs,_" she hissed. "_It reeks of death and I do not want you to see the massacre_."

"Fuck," Harry growled, looking up at Tobias. "We need to go, before anyone else comes into the shop," he said.

"But the snakes downstairs - "

Harry shook his head, his eyes hardening. "The bastards killed them all. We need to go."

"If they're tracking the Floo, how do you expect to get out?" Tobias asked.

"_Temporarily part ways with Tobias_," Aviva said. "_You can reunite when it's safe again, but seek out the assistance of the Dark Lord on your own_."

Harry looked up at the blonde man. "They can try to follow me if they really want, but I doubt they'll make it too far. You, on the other hand, are going to go to Pepper and tell her what they did to you," he said. "Leave out everything but what the Aurors did to you. I promise you that I won't do anything stupid, and I will send an Owl to you and Pepper when it's safe for me to do so. Is that clear?"

Tobias smirked slightly at the authoritative tone in the young man's voice. "No wonder the Dark Lord was so quickly besotted with you," he said quietly. "You will make an excellent leader with the right training."

Harry smiled slightly. "Toby, there's no time for your sentimental bullshit right now," he said, tossing the incubus a sweatshirt. "Shouldn't Cain have been back by now?" he asked.

"Before they started playing torture the gorgeous blonde, one of the Aurors mentioned that they caught Cain before he made it back to the shop, and they're going to keep him in custody until they've gotten whatever it is they think he'll give them," Tobias said.

"Meaning what, exactly?" Harry asked.

Tobias scowled. "Meaning that when he doesn't tell them exactly what they want to hear, and when they're done trying to get the answers from him through whatever means necessary, they'll dump him in a little bitty corner of Azkaban and forget about him," he said.

"So the shop is - "

"Going to be filled to the brim with Aurors in less than a week, waiting for you to come back so that they can get their hands on you," Tobias said.

Harry swore lowly. "There's too much information here," he said.

"What sort of information?" Tobias asked curiously.

"Information about our customers, about the snakes, and about Cain and me," he said quietly. "The kind of information that Cain didn't want even me knowing all about," he added.

"Utmost confidentiality is something that helped Cain get the reputation that he has," Tobias said almost hesitantly.

Harry paused. "I want you to set the shop on fire. Or blow the place up," he said. "But when I'm gone and before you go over to Pepper, destroy the shop."

"Destroy it," Tobias repeated disbelievingly.

Harry nodded decisively. "Destroy it completely. I will not have the shop fall into the hands of the enemies," he said.

"The enemies? Have you already chosen your side?" Tobias asked.

"Not officially," Harry said. "But the soldiers on the Light side made an enemy of me with the shit they've pulled. This morning's events just solidified my side in whatever role I play in this war."

"And now you're going to seek out the assistance of the Dark Lord?" Tobias asked. "He tortured you!"

Harry hesitated a moment. "I know that," he said. "But he wants my loyalty, and I think he wants me in his bed. I'll be safer with him than I would be trying to survive on my own."

Tobias hesitated for a long moment before pulling the younger man into a hug, ignoring Aviva's indignant hiss as she found herself in the middle of the embrace. "You do know that he won't let you go so easily again," he said, running his fingers through Harry's hair. "If he wants you so bad."

"I know," Harry muttered. "We have to go. Now."

Tobias nodded and stepped back. "Be safe, little boy," he said before handing the small pot of Floo powder to Harry. "And don't get caught doing anything I wouldn't do," he added with a weak smile.

Harry returned the smile, took a handful of powder, and stepped over to the fireplace. "_The Dark Lord's Manor_," he hissed in Parseltongue.

The last thing he saw was Tobias watching him disappear in the flames.

He reappeared a moment later in a dark cell, with only Aviva as company. "_Aviva, try to find Nagini_," he said.

The basilisk nodded, but before she left the cell, a slight movement near the left side of the cell caught their attention.

"_Nagini is momentarily preoccupied_," came the calm, cool voice of the Dark Lord. "_Perhaps there is something I can help you with_?" he asked.

Harry hesitated, looking down at Aviva for reassurance. "May I speak with you alone, sir?" he asked.

"There is no one else in any of the cells, so you may speak freely," Tom said coolly. "And while I am curious as to your sudden reappearance, I find it more important to know where Tobias is at the moment," he said, approaching the cell.

"He's with Pepper, before he finds some permanent safe place to hide," Harry said almost hesitantly. "And I give you my word that I will explain everything, but I need one thing from you."

Tom smirked. "But of course, young master," he said as he opened the cell door. "I live to please you."

Harry laughed quietly. "A few Aurors tried to kill Tobias and arrest me," he said. "I would like to stay here, and I need your protection," he said. "Please," he added quickly.

Tom's smirk disappeared. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "Tobias is fine as well, but the bastards killed all the snakes in the shop other than Aviva," he said. "Are you going to help me, or should I seek protection elsewhere?" he asked.

"You are more than welcome to stay here," Tom said without hesitating. "How much sleep did you get after leaving here?" he asked.

"Maybe three hours," Harry said.

Tom scowled slightly. "Come with me," he said. "I'll allow you the use of the guest chambers that you were in earlier, and once you've had enough sleep, we are going to have a conversation that will not be pleasant for you."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said.

Tom nodded. "It is the very least I could do," he said, resting his hand on Harry's lower back as he escorted the young man out of the dungeons and up to the guest room he'd been sleeping in less than six hours ago. "Aviva is welcome to stay with you, though she may be more comfortable in Nagini's room for the evening."

"_No_," Aviva said, tightening herself around Harry's torso. "_Your offer is kind, Serpent Lord, but I wish to make sure that my child does not suffer any further today_."

Tom looked down at the blind snake. "_I will not harm either of you_," he said, flicking his red eyes to meet Harry's calm gaze.

"_I appreciate that, Serpent Lord_," Aviva replied. "_I will still stay with my child_," she added.

Tom nodded. "Call for Mixie if you need anything," he said. "And she will let you know where I am when you've woken up."

Harry nodded. "Thank you again, sir," he said.

"Have a good night, Harry," Tom said before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.


	14. Genesis

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Just Cain, Tobias and Aviva belong to me.

Oh, and as a note to everyone (regarding both this story and Providence), my University semester is starting on Monday, so updates will be spaced out a bit more. As far as this story goes, I think I'm somewhere between a quarter and a third of my way through it, but I'm really hoping to be at least halfway through the story by my spring break. Unfortunately, schedules being what they are and all, that might not happen. At this point, I'm going to try to get at least one chapter up every two weeks.

...

Chapter 14: Genesis

...

This time when Harry woke up, he found himself not in pain, but instead rather comfortable. There was a fire blazing in the fireplace, the curtains were drawn, and Aviva was draped over his back, conversing quietly with Nagini.

He glanced over at the Dark Lord's serpent and smiled lazily when he realized she was watching him. "_Good morning_," he hissed quietly.

"_And the same to you, boy-child,_" Nagini replied. "_Are you feeling well?_" she asked.

Harry nodded a bit, but didn't say anything.

Aviva moved up closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"_How long have I been asleep?_" Harry asked.

"_Just a few hours more than four days_," Tom said as he walked into the room. "I see you're much more comfortable exercising your Parseltongue," he said.

Harry nodded slightly and sat up a bit. "I was unaware that you'd be checking in on me," he said, looking around the room. He noticed two doors, one on each side of the fireplace, and scowled lightly.

"The door on the left is a closet, which has a number of your clothes that the demon decided to send here by Owl, and the door on the right is a bathroom. There's another door in the bathroom that leads into the closet as well," Tom said with a knowing smirk. "_Nagini, Wormtail has decided to make his presence here a bit more than temporary,_" he hissed, looking over at his snake.

Nagini smirked, as much as a snake could, and looked down at Aviva. "_Come with me, little one_," she said. "_You will enjoy meeting this man_."

Aviva paused a moment before nodding and following the much larger snake out of the room.

Harry looked over at Tom. "What are you doing in here?" he asked.

"I came in to check on you, actually," Tom said, walking further into the room. "I wanted to make sure that you were not suffering from any adverse side effects from either my attack or the Aurors," he added.

"And what else?" Harry asked as he slid out of the bed.

Tom watched him pull on the shirt that he'd discarded before falling asleep. "I have a meeting in about an hour, and it is concerning someone that you may be interested in," he said.

Harry shrugged, not sure what to say.

"Alert the house elves when you're done in the bathroom and they'll point you to the dining room," Tom said. "You've managed to wake up in time for lunch."

Harry paused a moment. "Where is the meeting with this person?" he asked.

"In the sunroom," Tom said. "Will you be attending that meeting?"

"I'll give you my answer at lunch, if you don't mind," Harry said. "And I know that I owe you answers as well."

Tom nodded slightly. "I will allow you some time to adjust to staying here before I require you to give me those answers," he said.

Harry shook his head and picked up the sweatshirt he'd tossed on the ground in front of the bed. "No," he said, evenly meeting Tom's gaze. "I've got a feeling that these answers might help you in whatever it is that you're trying to accomplish." He glanced down at the sweatshirt. "I don't suppose you're the kind of Dark Lord who likes to wait for answers, either."

Tom smirked and said nothing for a moment. "This meeting will require you to wear something a bit more formal than jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt," he said. "If there is not the proper clothing in your closet, have one of the house elves let me know and I'll find something appropriate."

Harry nodded before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. He hesitated a moment before locking the door behind him. He heard Tom chuckling quietly and waited a long moment before he stripped down and took a shower.

...

Just over half an hour later, Harry walked into the dining room, ignoring the house elf leading him, and saw Tom sitting at the head of the table, speaking quietly with a blonde man that Harry had never seen before. He noticed a wealth of food on the table, and all of it looked exquisite.

"There you are," Tom said, looking over at Harry. "Have a seat."

Harry hesitated a moment, watching the blonde man with a mix of curiosity and wariness.

"I will introduce the two of you once you sit down," Tom said. "I'm sure you must be hungry."

The blonde man watched Harry for a brief moment before turning his focus back onto the parchment notebook on the table in front of him.

Harry kept a wary eye on the two men as he sat down across from the blond, to Tom's immediate left.

The blond man's eyes widened when Harry made himself comfortable in the chair and Tom made no move to object to Harry's choice in seating.

Once Harry was seated comfortably, Tom glanced over at the man, arching a black eyebrow at the speculative look on the blond's face. "Lucius," he said, and the man immediately schooled his face into a blank mask. "This is Harry. He'll be staying in my Manor for the foreseeable future. Harry, this is an associate of mine, Lucius Malfoy."

Lucius looked over at Harry and nodded slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said.

"And the same, I'm sure," Harry replied, looking the man over. At first glance, he reminded Harry of Tobias, though upon further inspection, he noticed that Lucius was more ... regal in appearance. Where Tobias had a perpetually rough around the edges look to him with his tendency not to shave, this man had a pristine look to him. His platinum blonde hair reached just past his shoulders and was tied together with a dark blue ribbon, and his eyes were silver to Tobias' gold. His robes screamed expensive, and he held himself like a king.

"Where did you meet my Lord?" Lucius asked quietly, not missing the partially hidden scar on Harry's forehead.

"I worked in a snake shop," Harry said, watching Lucius. "You work for the Ministry, don't you?" he asked the blond.

Lucius nodded.

Tom smirked. "You, Harry, have the fortune of meeting our newest Minister before he takes his office tomorrow morning," he said, looking over at Harry. "His predecessor passed away late last night."

"Did the old Minister meet his demise through natural means, or did you help him with that?" Harry asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Tom said nothing, choosing instead to summon a glass of red wine and glance over at Lucius.

The blonde man nodded. "It was a well known fact that my predecessor, Cornelius Fudge, was not in the best of health. He favored alcohol a bit too much and that, while not a widely known fact, was ultimately what led to his death," he said. "In what capacity do you serve the Dark Lord?" he asked.

Harry said nothing.

Tom chose that moment to lean forward. "Harry, help yourself to lunch," he said. "He is here because he asked for my help, and because he has information that I cannot afford to dismiss."

"What sort of information?" Lucius asked.

Tom frowned slightly. "You are dangerously close to overstepping your bounds, Lucius," he hissed glacially. "Harry, what would you like to drink?" he asked.

"Just water, please, sir," Harry said as he put a small steak on his plate.

Tom nodded and summoned a glass of water, setting it closer to Harry's plate. "Do not be shy about the food," he said before looking back over at Lucius. "Do you have any more questions relevant to your promotion?" he asked.

The blonde man shook his head, glancing momentarily at Harry.

Tom nodded. "Very well, then, Lucius," he said. "You are dismissed for now."

Lucius stood and bowed to Tom. He looked over at Harry.

"It was nice to meet you, Lucius," Harry said evenly. "And I wish you luck with your promotion."

Lucius nodded his farewell to Harry before leaving the room.

Tom was silent for a long moment. "You will likely be seeing much more of Lucius," he said. "He is not an infrequent guest in my Manor, and if you decide to stay for some reason other than the fact that I can protect you against almost anything, the two of you will get to know each other rather well."

"And how will he react when he finds out that we're Matches?" Harry asked, absentmindedly stabbing the steak on his plate.

"I had not planned on telling anyone, other than you, that fact," Tom said. "At least not until I am sure that you are properly trained."

Harry scowled. "Like a dog?" he asked.

Tom smirked. "Like an appropriate Match for a Dark Lord," he said. "I am not looking to put you on a collar and display you as a pet," he added.

Harry grinned wolfishly. "Then what, exactly, are you planning?" he asked.

"I have no doubt in my mind that you are powerful, but I am positive that your training and dueling proficiency is not what it should be," Tom said quietly. "That needs to change, as does your wardrobe, by the way," he added, looking over Harry's clothes with a mildly annoyed look on his face.

Harry glanced down at what he was wearing - a pair of black slacks and a lightweight green sweater that Pepper had given him for his birthday the previous year. "You said not to wear jeans," he said, hoping that Tom wouldn't notice the mismatched black and dark grey socks he was wearing.

"Yes, and while your clothing was appropriate while living and working with a number of snakes," Tom said. "You are no longer living in that situation. The proper clothing is required."

Harry frowned. "This isn't one of those elitist things, is it?" he asked as he finished off the steak and picked up a croissant.

Tom smirked. "Part of it is ego, yes," he said. "But the fact remains that you will not be taken seriously as my Match unless you both look and act the part." He picked up a croissant himself and took a bite from it. "I'll have to take you out sometime to make sure that you get the proper clothing."

"Out where, exactly?" Harry asked.

"That depends entirely on how much training you require," Tom said. "As the more time I spend training you, the less I have to make sure that you look the part." He cast a quick _Tempus_ and frowned lightly. "Though we will have to deal with that later on."

"Why?" he asked.

"My guest will be arriving in about ten minutes," he said. "Will you be joining me?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "If you don't mind," he said.

Tom shook his head. "If I'd minded, I wouldn't have extended the offer in the first place," he said as he stood up, setting the glass of wine and the croissant on the table. "There are a few rules that I need to establish before my guest arrives, though."

Harry stood up and followed the Dark Lord out of the dining room. "Sure."

"The man I am going to introduce you to has been a thorn in my side for quite a while now, and you may recognize him. However, I want you to stay quiet until I address you directly. Do not acknowledge the man, ignore any questions that he may ask of you, and no matter how he tries to bait you, do not react to what he says," Tom said. "There is a high likelihood that he will be bleeding heavily before he leaves this meeting."

"Blood and pain don't make me uncomfortable, sir. And I've seen a man tortured before," Harry said.

Tom glanced over at him, arching an eyebrow. "And when was this?" he asked.

"During one of the more brutal raids in the shop, one of the Light soldiers made the mistake of trying to sneak up behind Cain to slit his throat. Tobias sort of absconded with him until the rest of the soldiers were gone," Harry said. "And once they were relatively certain that it was safe, Cain and Tobias took turns torturing the man until he went insane," he said. "I watched, from the couch, and Bull kept trying to convince me to join in."

"What stopped you?"

"Cain," Harry said plainly. "He told me that I didn't need to corrupt my magic before the war had reached full scale, but he did let me watch."

Tom smirked. "So that you could see the descent into insanity, and so you could recognize the signs that the torture is no longer effective," he said. "A number of my followers teach their children the same thing, though more often than not they use kidnapped Muggles instead of Aurors."

Harry shook his head. "The man wasn't an Auror," he said, thinking back on the memory. "He was with them, and he had the proper authority to participate in the raid, but he called himself a Light Warrior. That the Phoenix had sent him to clean up a mess that shouldn't have been allowed to be made in the first place," he said.

Tom stopped walking and backed Harry against the wall, watching him carefully. "Did he happen to mention who the Phoenix was?" he asked.

Harry paused. "I don't remember everything clearly, but aren't you able to read minds?" he asked.

Tom nodded. "I am one of the most proficient Legilimens in the world today, yes," he said. "Though I am not gentle when entering someone's mind."

"But when the memory isn't being hidden?" Harry asked.

Tom smirked. "You are giving me permission to enter your mind?" he asked. "You are rather naive, aren't you?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm allowing you to look at one memory alone," he said.

Tom's smirk, if anything, grew more predatory. "Close your eyes and rest your head against the wall," he said. "This is still not going to be painless for you."

Harry did as told and, as soon as he'd closed his eyes, he felt the painful sensation of someone ripping apart his weakest mental shield. The portion of the memory in question was simultaneously pushed and pulled to the front of his mind, so that both he and the Dark Lord could recall it.

...

The man had had his arms restrained behind his back for the better part of six hours, and his face and torso were a mess of bruises, bloodied flesh, and burnt bits of skin. His voice was hoarse from screaming so often.

Tobias motioned for Harry to walk over to him. "You should learn how to do this," he said quietly, pulling a nine year old Harry next to him and resting bloody hands on the boy's shoulders. "Pay attention."

Harry looked over at Cain, who held the blade of a small, sharp knife just under the man's left eye. "Start talking," he said.

The man hesitated for a brief moment.

Cain shared a feral look with Tobias before pressing the blade of the dagger into the skin. "You've got two eyes," he said, his tone of voice colder than Harry had ever heard it before. "And I am not averse to taking both of them," he said as he drew blood. "And then moving on to your fingers, and toes, and -"

The man pulled his head as far away from the blade as he could. "I was sent by the Phoenix," he said hoarsely, staring in horror at Cain. "He told me to clean up a mess that shouldn't have been made in the first place."

"What mess?" Harry asked abruptly.

Tobias chuckled. "Good question, kid," he said quietly.

The man's jaw dropped when he noticed Harry standing there. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Bringing a kid to this bullshit?" he yelled, before coughing up blood onto Cain's jeans.

"I don't think insulting any of us is entirely wise of you," Tobias said conversationally. "Who is the Phoenix?" he asked.

"He's the one who's going to make this world a better place," the man said, sounding oddly triumphant. "And he's gong to do that by getting rid of everyone like you."

"Really?" Cain asked.

"By the time my Phoenix is done," the man said, deliberately spitting a mouthful of blood onto Cain's shirt. "Not even the boy will be left alive."

Tobias growled lowly, catching Cain's attention. "Cain, pet," he said, his voice little more than a snarl. "Take the little boy up to his room and make sure that he knows exactly why we have to do this to these kind of men."

Cain nodded and did so, keeping Harry close to his side as he escorted the boy up to his bedroom. They both ignored the screams that Tobias pulled from the man.

...

As soon as the memory was over, Harry shoved the Dark Lord out of his mind and re-established all of his mental shields, making sure that no one would be able to get into his mind without him knowing about it.

Tom stepped back. "That is an impressive talent you have," he said. "Though the memory was a bit disturbing. How long was the man under torture?"

"When he threatened me, even in the abstract manner that he did, Tobias killed him. When Cain and I went back downstairs later, the man's ribcage was pulled apart and his heart and lungs had been eaten," Harry said. "Which way to this meeting room?" he asked, stepping away from the wall and looking down the hallway.

"The second door on the left," Tom said as he started walking toward the room in question. "I understand that Tobias is a demon, but how soon after you met him did he start showing such possessive behavior?" he asked.

Harry grinned. "Almost immediately," he said. "It was weird and scary at first, since it was the first time that a grownup considered me his favorite. What is this meeting about?" he asked.

"I am in the final stages of deciding whether or not this man will live. He has overstepped his bounds one time too many," Tom said as they reached the door in question. He held it open for Harry to walk into the room before him. "Behind my desk, there are two chairs. You can take the seat closest to the fireplace."

"Why are you being so accommodating?" Harry asked as he walked into the room, just a step in front of Tom.

"Because once I'm done with this meeting, the two of us are going to have a conversation that is already overdue," Tom said. "Make yourself comfortable, and remember what I told you to do."

"Ignore the man unless you tell me otherwise," Harry said. "How long will this meeting take, do you think?" he asked.

"Not long, I'm sure," Tom said as he took a seat in the chair immediately behind the desk in the room. "Keep composure of yourself and watch the man carefully."

"What for?" Harry asked.

"Any tell-tale signs that he's lying to me," Tom said.

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair, watching the Dark Lord. "This is some kind of test, isn't it?" he asked.

Tom smirked at him. "Interpret it as you well," he said. "But f you consider this to be some sort of test, keep in mind that I may quiz you on what you see."

Harry nodded. He opened his mouth to ask the older man a question, but the fireplace flared to life and a familiar face stepped out of the fireplace.

"Good afternoon, my Lord," the man said.

Tom motioned at the chair on the other side of his desk. "Sit down," he said coldly. "We've got quite a bit to discuss."

Harry schooled his face into a blank mask of emotion and leaned back in the chair to watch the interaction between the Dark Lord and his guest.


	15. Conversations and Developments

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: It is raining- strike that, snowing like a motherfucker and I am not leaving my heated, dry apartment unless I absolutely have to. Like maybe the zombie apocalypse. _Maybe. _Things are starting to heat up here (and I think I'm further along than I thought I was last chapter).

...

Chapter 15: Conversations and Developments

...

A small stack of papers appeared on the desk as Severus walked through the fireplace. Tom quickly hid a frown when he noticed the first sentence on the page, and started reading through the small pile.

Severus, for his part, took a seat on the chair opposite the desk and said nothing, waiting instead for the Dark Lord to initiate the conversation. The man stayed completely silent and kept his eyes downcast, save for the few brief glances he cast in Harry's direction, though he wisely decided to keep his mouth shut until the Dark Lord addressed him directly.

Finally, after about two full minutes of silence, Tom spoke. "Explain yourself, Severus," he said coldly, though he did not look up from the papers on his desk.

"My Lord?" Severus asked, looking directly at the Dark Lord.

Tom lifted his eyes to meet Severus' gaze with glacially cold crimson eyes. "You recognize the young man sitting next to the fireplace, do you not?" he asked, setting the papers off to the side for the moment.

"I do, my Lord," Severus said, albeit hesitantly. Seeing that the Dark Lord was not in the mood to tolerate anything but complete cooperation from him, he nodded. "He is the boy of legend, of whom there is a prophecy."

"And how long have you known the location of his whereabouts?"

"Nearly eighteen months, my Lord."

"Why have you not informed me of his location in that time? Are the rumors of your betrayal true?" he asked.

Severus risked a glance in Harry's direction, not missing the blank stare he received in return.

"The prophecy child will not help you in this situation. You have wronged him just as you have wronged me," Tom said. He looked over at Harry and beckoned the younger man closer with a crook of his finger.

Harry stood and approached him, acting as though the British Potions Master wasn't in the room at all. With a barely-there smirk from Tom and the older man taking his wrist in a vice-like grip, Harry quickly realized what the Dark Lord had planned and decided to play along without a fight. "My Lord?" he asked quietly.

Tom smirked as he forced Harry to his knees in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, Tom watched Severus' mask disintegrate into utter disbelief with an overwhelming fascination. "Have you ever lied to me?" he asked.

"Yes," Harry said. "In an attempt to keep my secrets my own, I lied without hesitation."

"And how did I react when I learned that you were lying?" Tom prompted, his eyes hardening slightly at the memory.

Harry scowled, looking down at the floor in front of him. "You nearly killed me," he said, looking back up at the Dark Lord. "I was unconscious for three days, recovering from the punishment."

Tom nodded once. "And if I reacted like that when you were lying, how do you think I would act if I learned that someone had betrayed me?" he asked, momentarily ignoring Severus.

"I suppose," Harry started, but trailed off when the hand around his wrist tightened painfully, and he did his best to suppress a wince. "I suppose, my Lord," he started again. "That the traitor would suffer excruciating pain before he started begging for death."

"Severus," Tom said sharply, not lifting his eyes from Harry.

"My Lord?" the Potions Master asked.

"You have served me well for a number of years before you turned your back on me," Tom said. "So I will offer you a choice." He looked back at Harry, who met his gaze evenly and tried to pull his hand out of the older man's grasp.

"What is this choice, my Lord?" Severus asked almost impatiently.

Tom released Harry's hand and said nothing for a long moment, choosing instead to watch the younger man return to his chair by the fireplace. Finally, he looked to Severus. "You may choose to redeem yourself in my eyes or you may choose death by my hands, but you will make your choice before you return to your life outside this Manor."

Severus was silent for a long moment, watching the Dark Lord cautiously but never making direct eye contact with the man.

Tom's eyes narrowed slightly when he received no answer after nearly five minutes of silence. He snapped his fingers and a house elf appeared in front of him.

"Master is wanting something?" the elf asked.

"Escort Severus to a private room," Tom said coldly. "Make sure that he has no way to harm himself while he considers his options."

Severus' eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but a glare from Tom had him changing his mind.

"I will give you twenty four hours to weigh your options," Tom said in a glacial tone of voice. "At the end of that time, you will inform me of your choice or I will make it for you."

Severus hesitated a brief moment before nodding. "Yes, my Lord," he said.

Tom nodded, apparently satisfied.

The Potions Master made to stand and leave the room, but as soon as he vacated his chair, he found himself the victim of a particularly vicious Cruciatus curse. He collapsed to the floor, groaning in pain.

"Surely you did not think you were getting out of this meeting unscathed, Severus," Tom purred coldly. "And before you leave, I will be taking a precaution to make sure that you do not try anything stupid," he said.

Harry watched the Dark Lord with a morbid sense of fascination, but said nothing.

The man watched the Potions Master for a moment before lifting his left hand up and making a complex motion. He lifted the Cruciatus curse off of Severus, and the man sagged to the floor, out of breath and still in pain. Tom clenched his fist shut and slammed it down on the table, and Severus yelped, sounding very much like he'd just been kicked. "I will be keeping your magic in a safe place," Tom said coldly. "Until you make your choice, you will be little more than Muggle."

"Yes-" Severus panted, not getting up from the floor and not looking at the Dark Lord. "Yes, my Lord."

"You are dismissed," he said, watching Severus struggle to his feet with dispassionate eyes.

The house elf watched him carefully, making no move to either help or hinder the Potions Master. Once the man was relatively steady on his feet, the elf took a step toward him. "You must be following Ritzy to the room," he said.

Severus nodded silently and left the room without a glance back at the Dark Lord.

...

Once the man had stumbled out of the room behind the house elf and the door was once again shut, Tom turned to Harry. "Now, tell me about the event that had you running back to my protection so soon after your demon took you away," he said.

"I don't honestly know how much there is to tell," Harry admitted. He looked down at his wrist and rubbed it absently. "And I don't want to risk angering you again," he muttered to himself.

Tom frowned slightly. "I will allow you to momentarily put aside what ever it is that's making you so nervous," he said coolly. "Though only for a short while."

With that statement alone, the younger man seemed much more at ease. "I made it home after Tobias pushed me through the fireplace, and we talked for a little bit before I went to sleep. I woke up when some Light soldier pulled me out of bed and wanted to know who I was. He had some Aurors in the sitting room, and they were trying to exorcise Tobias," Harry said quietly. "I killed the man who woke me up, and Aviva killed the others before they could hurt Tobias too much more than they already had."

"Why did you kill one of them?"

"He threatened me," Harry said with a slight shrug. "And that is reason enough."

Tom smirked. "Indeed it is," he murmured, apparently temporarily satisfied with Harry's explanation.

Harry watched the older man almost curiously. "May I ask you a question?" he asked.

Tom nodded. "You may," he said.

Harry leaned back in his chair, saying nothing for a long moment. "Am I correct in assuming that when you say we're Matches, you're saying that we're soul-mates of some kind?" he asked.

Tom paused. "Not quite. The idea of the soulmate is something that has been proven wrong a number of times, but that knowledge is still kept impressively under wraps," he said. "Rather, two people are considered Matches when their magic is compatible."

"That doesn't sound that uncommon," Harry said with a frown.

"You wouldn't think so, no," Tom said. "But magic compatibility only occurs with those wizards who are exceptionally powerful. In today's world, only three Wizards are at the proper level," he said. "And those three are you, myself, and the man named Albus Dumbledore."

"Why do you have to be so powerful to have Matches?" Harry asked.

Tom crossed his arms over his chest. "This is one of the things that I'm still looking into, but the subject has not been widely documented," he said. "Though there is a theory in a number of the documents stating that the magic of the two people needs to be combined, and if they are not powerful enough, the magic will eat away at both of them until they're dead," he said.

"Then how did you find me?" Harry asked.

Tom smirked. "How do you feel about me right now?" he asked.

"That's not an answer to my question," Harry said.

"Indulge me."

Harry paused a moment, thinking over his answer. "I don't trust you entirely after what you did, but I'm at ease enough around you," he said. "So I guess I consider you alright, but not entirely trustworthy."

"Had I put any other person under that curse, do you think they'd be willing to be in a room alone with me?" Tom asked, his smirk growing a bit more predatory.

Harry scowled, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not stupid," he muttered after a long moment.

"I never said you were," Tom said quietly. "You and I will always feel something of a pull toward each other. We will be more willing to forgive each other's mistakes and, as the bond gets stronger and our magic starts to intertwine, we will feel a bit more connected."

"Connected how, exactly?" Harry asked.

"As our magic gets more connected, we will feel more connected in the sense that we will need to be near each other," he said. "And further on, the more intimately we have bonded, the more powerful we will feel."

Harry paused for a long moment. "So when we fuck?"

"You are thinking far too far ahead," Tom said with a smirk.

Harry grinned wolfishly. "You can only spend so much time around Tobias before he starts affecting you," he said. "Once he realized that I found him more fascinating than dangerous, he started treating me more like an adult."

Tom frowned slightly but said nothing.

Harry's grin faded a bit. "Isn't that what you want from me? A fuck?" he asked.

Tom stood and quickly approached the chair that Harry was sitting in. He planted his hands on the arms of the chair, effectively trapping the younger man in the chair, and smirked.

Harry watched Tom carefully, saying nothing.

The Dark Lord leaned forward a bit, deliberately releasing some of his magic out from under his control on it.

Harry's eyes almost involuntarily closed halfway. His pupils dilated and his hold of his magic fractured, washing both him and the Dark Lord in a violent wave of magic that had the two of them leaning toward each other.

"This feeling," Tom purred, almost completely lost in the feeling of ecstasy. "This is one of the reasons I sought you out," he murmured before kissing Harry roughly.

Harry eagerly returned the kiss, momentarily allowing himself to be dominated by the older man while the intoxicating sensation of their magic threading together lulled him into a nearly semi-conscious state.

When they separated for air, Tom deliberately pulled his magic back under control and leaned back. He offered a genuine smile to Harry, both of them panting slightly.

Harry watched him through lidded eyes as he struggled to pull his magic back under his hold. "Can we do that again?" he asked in a lazy tone of voice.

Tom smirked and took a step back from the chair, quickly regaining control of himself. "I've certainly got no objections to that," he said. "But I am going to wait until you feel that you can trust me a bit more."

After he'd managed to get his magic back in his control, Harry stood up. "Did it feel like that because we're Matches?" he asked.

"Partially," Tom said. "Though I do happen to be a fantastic kisser," he said with a self-satisfied smirk.

Harry returned the smirk with one of his own. "You're almost as full of yourself as Tobias," he said quietly.

Tom's smirk dropped off his face and he stood up. "Come with me," he said.

The younger man said nothing.

"You did nothing wrong," Tom said, glancing over at Harry.

Harry nodded and quickly made to follow the older man. He stayed silent as the Dark Lord held the door open for him and they walked down the hall.

"You told me that you found a way to become immortal," Harry said as he and Tom walked down the hallway, back toward the dining room.

"I did," Tom said with a slight nod.

Harry scowled, watching the older man with a barely concealed irate expression on his face.

Tom looked down at him and smirked when he noticed the younger man's irritation. "I am a Dark Lord," he said quietly as he took Harry's hand in his. He pressed a kiss to the back of Harry's hand. "_I will not give away my secrets so easily_," he hissed in Parseltongue.

"_I'm not asking for all of them_," Harry replied with a cheeky grin. "_Just one_."

Tom hummed quietly but said nothing for a moment.

Before either of them had the chance to say anything else, Mixie appeared in front of them. "Mixie is being sorry," she said, wringing her hands together. "She is not meaning to be interrupting Master and Master's guest, but an urgent guest has been coming in through the green fire. He is needing to talk to Master right away."

Tom frowned. "Who is it?" he asked.

"Mister Minister Lucius Malfoy," the house elf said, looking between the Dark Lord and Harry. "He is saying that it is being very important."

"I'll take care of it," Tom said. He looked over at Harry. "Would you care to join me?" he asked. "Or would you rather stay here for now?"

"I've never been to the Ministry," Harry said.

Tom nodded. "You'll come with me, then," he said decisively. "Though you will be needing a Glamour of some kind. I will not risk having you recognized by the Aurors."

"A Glamour?" Harry asked. "As what?"

"Likely a child about seven years old," Tom said as he summoned a black cloak and his wand. "If Lucius is calling me now, he's wanting me to show up as his attorney, and it had better as hell be an emergency." He dropped Harry's hand and led the younger man into the dining room they'd been in earlier. "Hold still," he said as he rested his wand on Harry's shoulder. "This is going to feel a bit odd."

...

About five minutes later, Tom took a step away from Harry, nodding satisfactorily.

Harry had to crane his neck back to look up at the Dark Lord and scowled. "I'm too short," he said with a scowl.

Tom smirked. "You look like a blond seven year old boy," he said, and Harry's scowl deepened at the amused lilt in the man's voice. "Which is exactly how I've planned it."

"Can't I be older, then?" he asked, hating the way the question came out in little more than a petulant whine.

Tom shook his head. "Not this time," he said. "Though I will consider it next time." He took a handful of the Floo powder from the vase on the mantle and dropped it into a pouch on his belt. "When we get into the Ministry, do not let go of my hand."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because while Lucius and a few of my other more trusted followers work there, I do not trust the rest of them," Tom said. "And I am not willing to risk having you taken from me now that I've got you in my grasp. Come here."

Harry hesitated for a moment before approaching the Dark Lord. "You aren't going to pick me up, are you?" he asked.

Tom smirked slightly. "Only to take you through the fireplace," he said before tapping his wand against his right wrist. As Harry watched, the Dark Lord shrank about six inches, his eyes lightened from a red to a light hazel, and his black hair lightened from a black to a dirty blonde. It shortened and reached just below his ears, and Tom scowled slightly as he pushed it out of his face. "When I am in this form, I go by the name Jonathan Crown," he said, looking back at Harry. "And I suppose you'll be masquerading as my son. How does the name Evan sound?" he asked.

"Evan?"

"Your dead mother's maiden name was Evans," Tom said calmly. "And I've got a feeling that Dumbledore will be making an appearance this afternoon."

"This is part of your bragging?" Harry asked as he allowed Tom to pick him up.

Tom nodded once before tossing a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace. "_Stay close to me_," he hissed quietly in Parseltongue.

Harry nodded and closed his eyes as Tom stepped into the fireplace and announced his destination.

The fire flared to life and the two were whisked away to their destination. As soon as they stepped out of the fireplace, they were greeted with the sight of an obviously irritated Lucius Malfoy.

"My Lord," he said as Tom stepped out of the fireplace and into a small private sitting room.

Tom released his hold on Harry and turned a hard stare on Lucius. "This had best not be a waste of my time, Lucius," he said as he plucked a piece of lint off of Harry's transfigured robes.

"It is not, my Lord," Lucius said, bowing to Tom before looking over at Harry. "Is this -"

"This is my son," Tom said, resting a hand on the back of Harry's neck. "Evan." He looked down at Harry and nodded. "Evan, do not be rude to my client."

Harry nodded and bowed to Lucius. "Hello, Mister Malfoy," he said quietly, smirking at the blonde man when he noticed the Malfoy watching him almost suspiciously.

"What, exactly, is your reason for calling me down here?" Tom asked dryly.

"The Aurors have deemed it necessary to search through both my old and new offices for anything that they consider incriminating," Lucius said, glancing only once more at Harry before focusing all of his attention onto the disguised Dark Lord. "They did have the courtesy of informing me that, even if they do not find anything illegal, I am to be placed under arrest. I did not know who else to call."

Tom hummed, clearly irritated, before motioning with his free hand for Lucius to lead the way out of the room. "Do not stray, Evan," he said as he followed the Malfoy out of the room.

Harry scoffed quietly. "Like you're going to loosen your hold on me, anyway," he muttered darkly, staring up at the man.

Lucius chuckled quietly. "How do you intend on handling this, my Lord?" he asked.

"Do not risk the superlative here, Lucius."

"Of course. You have my apologies, Jonathan," Lucius said, frowning as he addressed his Lord in such a casual manner. "How do you intend on handling this situation?" he asked.

Tom smirked and looked over at the Malfoy patriarch. "Sometimes, Lucius, it is best to just sit back and watch me work my magic."

Harry grinned, staring at the Dark Lord.

Lucius didn't bother to hide the small smile on his face at the statement.


	16. The Dark Lord, Attorney At Law

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: Nothing too important in this note, but I did get the chance to use one of my favorite-est words in this chapter. Care to take a guess which word it is? Also, this chapter is longer than the others, since I couldn't figure out where to stop it.

...

Chapter 16: The Dark Lord, Attorney at Law

...

As soon as Lucius walked into the room with the disguised Dark Lord and Harry, all movement stopped. The six Aurors in the Minister's new office turned and stared at the three newcomers.

"Minister," the lead Auror said in an almost detached tone of voice. "We informed you that you were not to attempt to interfere with this search. Leave the room before we add obstruction to your list of charges this afternoon."

Lucius looked over at Tom. "My attorney requested nearly eight months ago that I alert him if should I find myself being subjected to yet another illegal search, either here or in my home," he said.

Tom took a step into the room, still not letting go of the back of Harry's neck. "Explain yourself, gentlemen," he said, eyeing the lead Auror with blatant contempt.

"And just who the hell are you?" the lead Auror asked.

"I am Lucius' attorney, Jonathan Crowne," Tom said irritably. "And I resent being pulled away from a day with my son to deal with a clearly illegal search of the Minister's office."

"This is not-"

"Was there any probable cause whatsoever to search the offices of a man who has time and again proven himself committed to the Ministry?" Tom asked, deliberately interrupting the man.

"There was a cred-"

"Credible tips mean nothing without proper evidence or verification," Tom said coldly. "And that stands doubly so when this tip was anonymous, as I expect it was. Do you have any reasons that will stand up in a court of law for searching through the Minister's belongings?" he asked.

The lead Auror opened his mouth to respond, but Tom held up a hand, successfully stopping the man from speaking.

"I will give you three minutes to leave both this office and my client's previous office before I decide to level any number of charges against both the Auror Department, and each of you individually," Tom said.

"You can't be serious!" the woman next to Lucius' desk cried, a look of disbelief and outrage on her face.

Tom grinned dangerously, and the lead Auror took a visible half step back from the man. "Try me," he said in a voice little more than a purr. "You've now got forty five seconds to leave both offices before I decide to increase the number of charges that I am going to bring against you to both criminal and civil."

"You have no right to threaten any of us like this," the man said, taking a step forward. He bit back a grin when he noticed that he was a few inches taller than Tom. "You're completely out of line."

Tom sneered at the man and his magic sparked with his anger. The Auror took a noticeable step back. "I have every right to do this," he snarled as he glared at the man. "I am defending my client, who has the right to decide whether or not you continue working as an Auror."

"Give me one good reason to stop my search," the man said, sneering down at Tom.

"The fact that you're breaking the law isn't enough?" Harry asked, glaring at the man.

"An poignant question, Evan," Tom said. "But let me handle this. Go wait with Lucius."

Harry nodded and walked over to stand next to Lucius.

"You wanted a good reason," Tom said. "As I recall, Lucius was almost single-handedly responsible for repairing the relationship between ours and the French Ministry," Tom said. "Though things are still tedious, and there is little doubt in my mind that an event like this one will only hinder the continuing development of that relationship."

"Playing politics is a dangerous game, Mister Crowne," the man said, though his tone had lightened considerably. It was not an unknown fact that Lucius Malfoy had high ranking friends in the French Ministry; friends who could and would make international issues nearly impossible to resolve.

Tom nodded. "Which is precisely why I am suggesting that you stop playing it," he said. "Best not to ruin your career and your family name because you disagree with some of my client's personal choices. Your wife and children will not appreciate that."

That statement seemed to sink in, and the lead Auror looked over at Harry, watching him for a long moment. "You're right," he said quietly. "Everyone, leave the room without touching anything else. Tawny," he said, looking over at the Auror standing near the private fireplace. Most of the other Aurors slipped out of the room, murmuring quiet apologies to Lucius as they passed him. "Clear the search team out of the Minister's previous office without removing or disturbing anything."

The woman nodded and left with a nod to both her commanding officer and to Lucius.

Tom watched the goings on with silent approval. "Now, you and I need to have a private conversation before I decide how I'm going to charge your department," he said once there were only two Aurors in the room - the lead Auror and the woman who'd piped up earlier.

The man nodded and followed Tom to a corner of the room. He put up a quick Privacy charm and the two of them started immediately talking business.

Lucius and Harry walked a bit further into the room, Harry looking around with an almost childlike sense of fascination.

"This place is brilliant," Harry said quietly as Lucius gathered his riding cloak and a small pouch that he immediately shrunk and put in his pocket.

"It certainly is something," Lucius said as he made sure that the pouch was secure. "And this is just my office."

Harry looked over at him. "Is the pouch hiding something secret?" he asked.

Lucius smirked and shook his head a bit. "Not this time," he said. "A gift for my wife."

"Is it her birthday?" Harry asked.

"Our anniversary, actually," Lucius said. "You are a peculiar child."

Harry just shrugged and offered the blonde a small grin.

...

The last Auror in the office glanced down at the papers on Lucius' desk, getting ready to read them while she thought Tom's attention was focused on the higher ranking Auror. She made it about halfway through the first word when the air around her went stagnant.

"What is your clearance level, Miss Winston?" Tom asked in an almost conversational tone of voice.

She looked up and found a cold hazel glare watching her every move.

"I am a level four," she said, internally proud of herself from keeping the frightened tremor out of her voice.

From his spot just inside the room, Lucius smirked at her. "The documents on my desk require at least a level nine clearance. Reading them without the proper level is paramount to treason, and I will not hesitate to have you arrested for it."

She sent Lucius an irritated look, which withered when the child standing with him sent her a rude gesture.

Tom smirked, and without looking back at Harry, spoke up. "Do not make me break your finger again, Evan," he said. "You know I do not accept such behavior from you."

The woman looked over at him in horror. "You would break your son's finger?" she asked in a whisper.

Tom leaned back and smirked at her. "Evan, would you care to explain my reasoning for this ... woman?" he asked. "And you, step away from the Minister's desk."

She didn't hesitate to do as told.

Harry looked at the woman. "I've been told a number of times not to behave in a certain way," he said as Lucius walked over to his desk and gathered the papers into one pile before speaking quietly with Tom. "And when I act contrary to what I have been taught, I am punished for it. It's not an unreasonable system."

"But he should not be breaking your bones," the woman said.

"And you shouldn't be reading things that you're not allowed to read," Harry countered without hesitation. "But we all do what we feel is necessary to make the world a better place."

Tom smirked at the statement but continued in his conversation with Lucius.

The woman, clearly flabbergasted with Harry, put her hands on her hips and glared at the Glamoured seven year old. "I'm not going to just bend over to an attorney without a fight," she snapped.

Harry smirked, suddenly seeming much older than his current appearance. "Good. I'm sure it will go over well with your superiors if you did. After all, potentially jeopardizing international relations, disregarding an order from your superior officer, and conspiracy to commit treason will be shining examples of your service to this government," he said.

"You are a horrible little child," the woman spat as tears welled up in her eyes.

"So are you," Harry said, completely unaffected by the insult. "Didn't your commanding officer tell you to get the hell out of the Minister's office?" he asked.

"Language, Evan," Tom said without looking over at him.

The woman frowned. "I'm going to get someone who can deal with this situation better than I can," she snapped again.

"Why?" Harry asked, grinning cruelly. "You're doing such a fantastic job on your own."

She bit back a sob and shoved past the seven year old, leaving the room with an unnecessarily dramatic flourish.

...

Less than ten minutes later, Albus Dumbledore walked into the Minister's office, and Harry couldn't stop himself from bristling angrily at the sight of the man. "Minister Malfoy," Albus said cordially. "Or would you prefer I call you Lucius?" he asked.

Lucius looked over at the old man. "I would prefer you stop exerting your influence to try and have me pushed out of the office I was just elected into," he said. "I don't believe you've had the pleasure of meeting my attorney, Jonathan Crowne," he added, motioning to Tom, who was speaking quietly with Harry in the corner of the room.

Albus looked over at the two of them. "No," he said. "I haven't."

Tom straightened himself and looked over at Albus. "You'll meet me more formally in court," he said. "When I bring your associates up on charges."

"There is no need for such animosity so soon after we've met," Albus said, looking down at Harry with a light frown on his face. "How long have you been an attorney for Lucius?" he asked.

"I've known him since childhood," Lucius said, glaring at Albus. "And we are not on such familiar terms, so please do not refer to me so casually."

Tom smirked. "I've known Lucius since he graduated from Hogwarts," he said. "And my father had the pleasure of working with Lucius' father."

"And you brought your son here to introduce him to the business?" Albus asked, once again looking down at the Glamoured Harry. "What is your name, my boy?" he asked.

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but Tom rested a hand on his shoulder, effectively stopping him from saying anything.

"My son is not your concern," Tom said coldly. "Nor is he 'your boy'."

"Will he be attending Hogwarts when he gets old enough?" Albus asked, ignoring Tom's statement. "We are always welcoming young, bright minds into our halls."

Tom looked over at Lucius, who was watching the interaction warily. "Lucius, the Aurors will not be continuing their earlier search without a warrant signed by an impartial legal authority," he said quietly. "So my work here is done."

"Why are you running away from the conversation?" Albus asked. "Do you have something to hide?" he asked.

Tom turned a vicious glare onto the old man, barely able to stop his magic from spiking with his anger. "Lucius," he said, not looking away from Albus.

"Yes?" Lucius asked.

"Take my son outside and stay with him until I am done in here," Tom said, gently pushing Harry toward the Malfoy. "He doesn't need to see this."

"Maybe he does," Albus suggested, sounding to the untrained ear friendly enough. "After all, every young man needs to learn that the world is not so kind and gentle as they assume it to be," he said. "Especially when it comes to those people who they think they know."

Harry lifted his head and sneered at Dumbledore. "I know that my father is a good man," he said, sounding eerily like Tom. Both the disguised Dark Lord and Lucius looked at him peculiarly, not sure what to think of his behavior. "And no matter what you people say about him, I will not change my mind," he said as he took hold of Lucius' offered hand.

The physical contact seemed to stir the man out of his curious daze, and Lucius then led Harry out of the room with a brief nod to Tom before he shut the door. He took Harry back to the private room that he'd first greeted them in, and sat the younger man down on the couch in the room.

"I messed up in there, didn't I?" Harry asked, looking over at Lucius as he tried to make himself comfortable on the stiff leather couch while Lucius sunk into an armchair across from the couch.

Lucius shook his head a bit and silently erected a number of Privacy charms on the room and turned to face Harry directly. "You are not seven years old," he said.

Harry grinned at him. "Jonathan Crowne is not my father," he said, not offering anything else.

"Have I met you before, or are you one of the Lord's newest acquisitions?" Lucius asked.

Harry paused a moment, absently picking at his fingernails. "What are you planning on doing with the knowledge, should I choose to tell you?" he asked, suddenly going shy.

Lucius smirked. "That depends entirely on how valuable that knowledge is," he said. "Though I will not go public with the information, if that's what you're asking."

The younger man hesitated for another long moment before daring a glance up at Lucius. "I worked in a snake shop," he said, hoping the man would pick up on the hint.

He did, and a satisfied smirk came over his face as he inspected the Glamour hiding the younger man's true appearance. "You are staying with the Lord through your own choice, then?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "For the time being, yes," he said. "How long is he going to be dealing with the old man?" he asked.

"It'll be a while," Lucius said, leaning back in his chair. "The Lord seems to enjoy arguing with Albus, regardless of which disguise he's using."

Harry scowled lightly and pinned a glare on the door, as though it was the problem. "You wouldn't happen to have something I could read while we wait?" he asked.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to read?" Lucius asked.

"I don't suppose you have anything about Rasputin, would you?"

"The Russian wizard?"

Harry nodded.

Lucius paused a moment, thinking about it, before nodding and picking up his wand. He silently summoned a thick book and the papers that had been on his desk. "You don't mind if I work while we wait, do you?" he asked.

"Course not. Thank you for the book," Harry said with a grin as he stood up and carried the book over to the couch. "Fucking hate being so small," he muttered darkly when he almost tripped while carrying the book, deliberately ignoring the quiet chuckling coming from Lucius' chair.

...

Nearly an hour and a half later, Tom walked into the private room with a satisfied air about him. He noticed the Glamoured Harry sitting on the couch, reading a book almost as large as he was, and smirked.

Lucius stood up as soon as he noticed that it was Tom who'd walked into the room. "How did it go, my Lord?" he asked.

"Sit down, Lucius. The formality is not necessary the moment. The Aurors will not be searching your office again any time soon, and Albus will be keeping his nose out of your business for the next two days, at the minimum," Tom said. "Though you may find Rufus Scrimgeour trying to give you something of a headache within the near future."

"Who's Rufus Scrimgeour?" Harry asked, looking up from his book.

"He was one of the men in the election," Lucius said with a light scowl. "He lost to be by just a marginal amount, and he did not take that loss well. I did not think he was the type to try and get revenge this way, though," he said, looking over back over at Tom.

"On his own, he's not," Tom said. "Though his backer is prone to this kind of manipulation when things do not turn out the way he planned. Nor is he inclined to remain anonymous at this point in time."

"Dumbledore," Lucius said, making the name sound like a vile curse.

Tom nodded. "You can return to your day, if you'd like," he said. "Though I very much doubt if anyone would object to you leaving early after what you've been put through," he said.

"Did Dumbledore put you through any trouble?" Lucius asked.

"Nothing that I couldn't handle," Tom said. He looked over at Harry. "Are you ready to go, or would you rather stay here and read for a bit?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "I'm ready now, sir," he said, setting the book aside "And I don't ever want to be this small again," he added.

Tom smirked. "We'll see," he said. "Though I find you almost adorable when you're as short as you are," he said.

Lucius smiled slightly at the statement. "Thank you for your help, my Lord," he said.

Tom nodded. "You have served me well since the day I brought you into my service," he said. "There is no reason for me to allow you to fall into a precarious situation without assisting you."

"You enjoy pissing off Albus," Lucius said.

"That too," Tom said with a wicked grin. He looked down at Harry, who turned to Lucius.

"Thank you, Lucius," he said. "It was nice seeing you again."

Lucius nodded. "And you as well," he said.

Tom once again picked Harry up and pulled a handful of Floo powder out of the pouch on his belt. "I will see you again soon, Lucius," he said before stepping into the fireplace and hissing his destination in Parseltongue.

As soon as they made it back into the Dark Lord's Manor, Tom removed the Glamours from both him and Harry. "What did you think of the meeting?" he asked.

"It was interesting, I suppose," Harry said, running his hand through his much longer hair. "I am a bit hungry, though," he admitted almost reluctantly.

Tom scowled. "Did you eat your fill before we left for the Ministry?" he asked.

"I ate enough," Harry muttered darkly.

Tom fixed a glare on the younger man. "You are an idiot, brat," he snapped, tugging harshly on Harry's ponytail. "You were unconscious for three days, dealt with a high stress situation, and then slept for another number of days!"

"So?" Harry asked irritably, pulling his hair out of the Dark Lord's reach.

"So, the last thing you need is to neglect your health," Tom growled. "We'll talk in the dining room while you eat until you are completely full."

Harry scowled lightly but said nothing. When Tom pinned a glare on him, though, he nodded. "Fine," he said quietly.

...

Harry found himself sitting in a chair at the dining table with two plates in front of him, piled high with some of his favorite foods. "Your house elves are crazy, you know?" he asked even as he started eating one of the steaks on the closer plates.

"They were incredibly insulted to learn that one of my guests was going hungry and not enjoying their cooking," Tom said as Mixie popped into the room and handed him a small plate with a bunch of red grapes on it. "Be glad that I told them to go easy on you, otherwise you'd find at least four plates in front of you."

"I'm not going to be able to eat all this," Harry said.

"Just eat until you're full and I'll inform the elves that they no longer need to be insulted," Tom said.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Harry looked over at Tom. "Before you took me to the Ministry, I asked you about how you planned to become immortal," he said.

"And I told you that I was not going to give away all my secrets."

Harry looked around the table for a glass of water, finding none. Tom, apparently knowing exactly what he was looking for, handed him a glass of ice water. He murmured his appreciation and took a drink. "How do you plan on becoming immortal, exactly?" he asked once he swallowed his water.

"Aren't you rather young to be so obsessed with the issue of immortality?" Tom asked, sounding more amused than anything.

Harry shrugged. "I might say the same for you," he said.

Tom smirked. "I am almost seventy years old, so I doubt I qualify as too young anymore," he said.

"You don't look that old."

"Restorative potions have helped me a great deal," Tom said, summoning a glass of red wine. "Among other things," he added.

"Cain told me that wizards often live hundreds of years, though," Harry said after a minute or so of silence. "And the more powerful a wizard, the longer they'll live," he said.

"And I do not want this world to fall into ruin once I've put in the effort to fix it," Tom said. "Why are you so fascinated with this topic?" he asked.

"Why are you?" Harry countered, almost as though he'd been expecting the question. He pushed one empty plate away and eyed the second distastefully.

Tom smirked, raising his glass a bit to the younger man. "Well played," he said. "Are you done eating?" he asked.

"Yeah. You know, if you told me a bit more about what you're planning, I wouldn't be so inclined to question you about it. You did say that whatever this ritual is would be stronger if you had your Match with you during the ritual," Harry said as he stood up and approached the Dark Lord. "And I happen to be naturally curious," he added.

Tom smirked as the younger man came closer to him.

"What, exactly, do you have planned?" Harry asked.

Tom said nothing for a moment. When the younger man was within his reach, he shot his hand out and grabbed Harry's wrist in a vice-grip, not unlike he had during the meeting with Severus. He quickly forced Harry onto his knees in front of his chair. "This is a good look for you," he said with a slight smirk.

Harry offered Tom a lazy smile, twisting his hand slightly to rub his thumb over the pulse point on the older man's wrist. "You like me on my knees, then?" he asked, his voice little more than a purr.

"Is this Tobias' influence on you?" Tom asked.

Harry shrugged a bit, seeming more than content to stay on his knees for the time being. "Probably a little bit," he said.

"The snakes, then," Tom surmised.

Harry just hummed noncommittally, having nothing to say.

After another moment of keeping Harry at his feet and the two of them watching each other silently, Tom pulled the young man to his feet. "It's been a long day for you," he said. "Go get some sleep," he said. "And I'll see you in the morning."

Harry grinned. "I don't get a good night kiss?" he asked.

Tom smirked. "Not tonight," he said. "But play your cards right and you might get one tomorrow."

The younger man nodded. "Good night, Tom," he said quietly before walking out of the room and heading back to the room he'd slept in the night before.


	17. Choices

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: This one's shorter, but here you go. I get to go to NYC for the first time on Saturday, and I'm really looking forward to that trip. Anyway, enjoy.

...

Chapter 17: Choices

...

Harry looked around the hall, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up while Mixie sought out Tom. The house elf had all but dragged him out of bed about ten minutes ago, but she hadn't said anything more than, "Master is wishing to see Master's guest right away." He sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, his eyes drifting closed on their own volition, ignoring the fact that he was only wearing dark green boxers and an unfastened black robe.

Tom walked into the hall and smirked when he noticed Harry already halfway asleep again. "Mixie wasn't too rough with you, was she?" he asked, taking the chance to look over the younger man's physique.

Harry shook his head, momentarily unaware of the way Tom was inspecting him. "It's barely past two in the morning, Tom," he muttered, opening his eyes and staring blearily up at the older man. "What in the hell is so important that you had the elf pull me out of bed?" he asked. He didn't receive an answer - instead, a small vial of cherry red liquid was pressed gently into his hands. He looked up at Tom. "What's this?"

"It's enough Pepper Up to keep you awake and alert for the next hour or so. Drink it and come with me," he said.

Harry eyed the potion with distaste before downing it. Surprisingly, it didn't taste as vile as he thought, but he still watched the Dark Lord irritably. "You owe me for this," he said before handing the empty vial to Mixie, who took it and disappeared with an overly loud 'pop'.

Tom smirked. "I'll make it up to you later," he said.

"Weren't you going to take me somewhere?" Harry asked grouchily - he'd never appreciated being pulled out of bed in the middle of the night, no matter who was responsible for said pulling.

"I'll give you a minute to wake up more fully," Tom said. "And I'm waiting for you to ask what you're doing out of bed in the middle of the night."

"I wasn't going to -"

"Yes, you were," Tom said. "And before we go into the dungeon, I would ask that you fasten your robe."

Harry glanced down at his body and nodded. "Does it have anything to do with Severus?" he asked as he fastened the robe.

"It does," Tom said. "He's been trying some rather creative ways to kill himself, and he's also been asking to see you."

"Asking or begging?" Harry asked with a slight smirk.

Tom shrugged. "He continues to believe that begging is below him," he said. "So, he's been asking for you, instead of begging."

"Why?" he asked.

"He refuses to say," Tom said. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Harry paused for a moment, a wicked grin coming over his face. Without any warning, he grabbed hold of Tom's neck and pulled the older man close enough to kiss the man. "Now I'm ready," he said, still grinning.

Tom's eyes narrowed slightly as Harry kept a hold on his neck. "You are an impertinent brat," he said, though there was no malice whatsoever in his tone.

"I know," Harry said lazily. "But I'm good at it."

Tom backed Harry against the wall, ignoring the younger man's quiet yelp of surprise when he was shoved roughly against the wall. "You are far too confident for your own good," he said coolly.

Harry offered the Dark Lord a lazy smirk. "Isn't that the best way to be?" he asked. "Now, because I've been so rudely woken up, pulled out of bed, and medicated so that I can go visit a man who I'd much rather punch in the crotch than listen to, you owe me."

Tom smirked and leaned forward close enough that Harry could feel the other's breath on his lips. "And how would you have me repay this debt?" he asked.

Harry's smirk grew more self-satisfied and he leaned forward to kiss Tom again. "I'll think about it," he said quietly. "Though it might be more useful to keep that debt in my back pocket, at least for the time being."

"Cain taught you well," Tom said quietly. He leaned forward and kissed Harry roughly, smirking a bit when he felt Harry respond just as aggressively. Blood and saliva were exchanged and only when the need for air was urgent did they separate a bit, both of them breathing heavily.

"That doesn't count as payment," Harry said quietly, his eyes flicking from Tom's lips to meet his gaze.

Tom chuckled quietly. "I hadn't expected it to," he said. "I was unaware that I needed a reason to kiss you." He straightened himself and took a step back. "Now, my wayward Potions Master has been asking for you, and I am more than slightly interested in finding out what it is that he has to say to you."

"Lead the way, then, my Lord," Harry purred, smirking when Tom's breath hitched ever so slightly. "I was unaware you were that easy," he said, almost inaudibly.

Tom glanced back down at Harry, quirking an eyebrow oddly, but he said nothing.

...

Severus was staring expectantly at the doorway when Harry walked in. He was clearly still weak, leaning heavily against the wall for support and deliberately taking shallow breaths. The few wounds that had yet to heal were slowly scabbing over, though the Potions Master had managed to gain a few new cuts and bruises with his numerous suicide attempts.

Harry glanced back at the door, suddenly losing his nerve when an intensely desperate black glare was leveled on him.

Tom had made himself comfortable just on the other side of the door and would be listening to everything that was said, but Harry wondered briefly if it might have been better for the Dark Lord to come into the room with him.

"I didn't think you'd come," Severus said weakly.

Harry scowled and conjured a chair to sit on. "Yeah, well, I'm here now," he said, taking a seat. "At half past two in the morning, and after you've tried to kill yourself in a number of increasingly creative ways. What the hell do you want?" he asked irritably.

"Why are you with him?" he asked.

"The only one I'm with is you at the moment, and the only reason I'm here right now is because the house elves don't want to be punished when you finally manage to off yourself because I don't want to talk to you," Harry said.

The Potions Master said nothing for a moment. "I was just following orders," he said weakly. "I'm sure you've done the same."

Harry smirked. "Contrary to whatever you think of me, Severus," he drawled lazily. "I have never taken orders from anyone, and I don't plan to change that any time soon. Tell me what you thought was so urgent so that I can go back to my warm, comfortable bed and back to sleep."

"He's going to kill you."

"This is going to get incredibly boring if you're going to stay that vague," Harry said. He got off the chair and sat down against the wall so that he could be closer to eye level with Severus. "Here's what I'll do," he said. "I'll tell you a secret and you tell me the truth."

Severus was silent for a long moment before he nodded. "What's your secret?" he asked hoarsely.

"Before you and the old man and everyone else started raiding my shop -"

"Your shop?" Severus asked with a particularly biting tone of voice.

"Well, I would call it Cain's shop, but he's been missing for a while now," Harry said. "And apart from those raids, I would have stayed neutral throughout this little war of yours. Your actions in particular led to me making a final choice. If you'd have just left us and the courtyard alone, you could have had a decent chance convincing me to fight with you, but instead you managed to gain me as an enemy."

The Potions Master fell silent, a completely defeated look on his face. He said nothing.

Harry smirked down at Severus. "Now, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" he asked.

A long moment later, the man spoke. "He's going to use you to get more power and then he's going to kill you."

"I'm going to assume that you're talking about the Dark Lord," Harry said. "And as far as I know, he considers me something of a pet or a plaything. I don't plan on disappearing any time soon."

Once again, Severus fell silent.

A few seconds later, Tom walked into the dungeon, catching the attention of both Harry and Severus. "How is everything going, pet?" he asked as he approached Harry and ran his fingers over the younger man's jaw. He looked down at Harry and smirked slightly. "No blood has been drawn without me, I would hope."

Harry smiled lazily, not moving from his seated position. "We're both behaving ourselves, if that's what you're asking," he said as Tom's fingers moved to start threading through his hair. He looked over at Severus, who was watching the interaction with blatant disbelief. "And the bloodletting is your privilege with him," he said casually. "I have no right to try anything like that without your permission."

Tom looked over at Severus, watching the Potions Master with a self-satisfied smirk. "You see how quickly the prophecy child has fallen to my influence, and no doubt that's affected your thinking. I have already given you plenty of time to think over your choice," he said coolly.

"You can't honestly be submitting to him," Severus said, glaring at Harry. "You were supposed to save us all, not to fall for the charms of the enemy!" he said loudly.

Harry scowled slightly, noticing the way that Tom's grasp in his hair tightened nearly enough to draw blood. "I'm only just now growing into an adult, and I'm still technically underage to your government," he said. "And yet you would have me risk my life for the same people who were raiding my home in search of anything they could use to put my guardian and myself on trial for sedition."

"Pet," Tom purred lowly, tugging on Harry's hair. "Stand up," he said quietly.

The younger man quickly got to his feet and looked the Dark Lord in the eye. "Sir?" he asked.

"Did I give you a choice?" Tom asked.

Harry paused for a moment before nodding. "Yes, sir," he said, quickly gathering the gist of what the Dark Lord was doing. "I could do as you requested of me and live without harm, or I could disrespect you and die a painful death," he said.

Tom smirked a bit. He glanced down at Severus, and that smirk faded when he noticed the triumphant grin on the man's face. "What has you so happy, Severus?" he asked.

"He has not submitted to you," Severus snapped. "He's merely doing what he must to survive," he said. "Nothing more."

Harry tried to turn to glare at the Potions Master, but Tom stopped him with a deliberate look.

Tom pulled Harry flush up against him. "_I am going to take drastic measures_," he hissed so that only Harry could hear him. He silently murmured a spell that had Harry's hands restrained behind his back with a thick black cord.

"_These measures involve me_?" Harry asked almost inaudibly, even as he felt the Dark Lord's left hand come up to wrap around his neck.

Tom nodded. "_I will need to hurt you_," he hissed quietly. "_And you must remain calm_."

Only seconds passed before Harry nodded his assent, and as soon as he nodded, Tom spun him around. He kept his hand around Harry's neck, tightening it enough that it was difficult for Harry to take deep breaths.

"Close your eyes, pet," Tom said, pressing a kiss to Harry's temple.

Harry refused to do so, choosing instead to watch Severus almost passively.

"Now, Severus, take his behavior as you will, but consider this," Tom said coldly, watching the Potions Master's every move. "You were in love with my pet's mother, and you, and the rest of your Ministry, have pinned your fate on one singular boy," he said. "So he is doubly indispensable to you."

Severus said nothing for a moment. When he noticed Tom's grip on Harry's neck visibly tighten, he scowled. "Let the boy go," he snapped. "He is of no use to you."

Harry closed his eyes briefly. "I think I resent that," he said in a breathy voice, unable to breathe properly. He looked down at Severus and grinned a bit. "The Lord seems to take quite a bit of pleasure when I'm on my knees in front of him," he said, knowing exactly how Severus would interpret the statement. He wasn't disappointed.

The blood immediately drained out of Severus' face and he stammered out a few inaudible words. "He's forced -"

Harry smirked slightly, but before he could say anything else, the grip around his throat tightened.

Once it was nearly impossible for him to breathe, Tom looked back at Severus. "Clearly my pet needs a bit more training to keep his mouth shut when his voice is not needed," he said. "Now, Severus, since you've made it obvious that you don't care so much about your own safety, I'll give you a new choice."

"And what's that?" Severus asked, though his voice had taken on something of a hysterical quality.

"I want your sworn allegiance," Tom said calmly. "Or your precious prophecy child will die, right here in front of you. I will give you fifteen seconds to choose," he said, not loosening his hold on Harry's throat. Harry gasped out a breath and tried to catch Tom's gaze, but the Dark Lord was focused solely on his prisoner.

It took less than five seconds before the Potions Master started nodding. "Let him go," he said weakly. "I will swear my allegiance to you, and only you, but please, let the boy go."

Tom smirked, slightly loosening his hold on Harry's throat. "Good," he said. "Mixie."

The house elf popped into the dungeon and quickly surveilled her surroundings. Her eyes widened almost comically when she noticed the position that Harry was in, but she relaxed a bit when Harry offered her an otherwise invisible smirk and a wink at her. "What is Master being wanting?" she asked.

"Escort the Potions Master to one of the guarded guest rooms," he said coldly. "He may have water and very basic medical attention, but nothing else. He is not allowed to leave, attempt to leave, or attempt to make any contact with anyone other than yourself. Is that clear?" he asked.

Mixie nodded vigorously, her ears flapping against her forehead as she did so. "The Potions man is to be being a prisoner in a nicer cell," she said.

Tom nodded once, not saying anything. He watched as Mixie took Severus out of his cell and led him out of the dungeon.

...

Once Severus was taken out of the dungeon and on his way to his temporary room, Tom released his hold on Harry's neck and vanished the bindings on his wrists. He murmured a quiet healing spell and kissed the younger man's Adam's apple. "Thank you," he said before kissing Harry again.

Harry shrugged and backed Tom against a wall, fully aware that the man was allowing himself to be moved. "I didn't lose consciousness, and I knew that it was going to happen, so I suppose I'll let it pass this time. Now, I have been kept awake too long for my liking," he drawled lazily.

"You're not going to be able to get back to sleep for another few hours, are you?" Tom asked. At Harry's brief silence, he wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist. "What would you like to discuss, then?" he asked.

Harry leaned forward, resting his head in the crook of Tom's neck. "Tell me about your plan to live forever," he said after a short moment of silence.

Tom paused. "Was that a request or an instruction, pet?" he asked.

Without warning, Harry bit down on the older man's neck. "I'm not your pet," he said.

Tom smirked. "Of course not," he said, though it was clear that he wasn't at all sincere. "Are you sure you'd like to head into this particular discussion?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "I don't suppose it would be more convincing if I were to ask you nicely?" he asked.

Tom chuckled. "Fine," he said. "Let's go to the sunroom and we can discuss this issue there." He released Harry from his hold and motioned at the door. "Do you remember how to get there?" he asked.

Harry shook his head, carefully watching the older man for any signs that he was changing his mind.

"Follow me, then," Tom said.

...

Once they'd made themselves comfortable on the chairs in the sunroom, both of them watching the beginnings of a thunderstorm, Tom summoned a glass of red wine for himself. "Would you like anything to drink?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "Do you ever actually sleep?" he asked.

Tom smirked. "Only for a few hours at a time, actually," he said. "When this conflict starts to calm down, I'll be able to sleep more often, but at the time, I've got more important issues to focus on."

"But isn't that kind of bad for your health?" Harry asked, looking over at the Dark Lord. "Not sleeping, and all?"

"I was unaware that my sleeping habits were so interesting to you," Tom said.

Harry shrugged. "I've never met a Dark Lord before, so there are a number of things about you that I find interesting," he said. "But I think you were finally going to tell me how you planned on becoming immortal."

Tom watched Harry for a long minute before he spoke. "What do you know of mermaids?" he finally asked.

"Not much," Harry said. "Only that they're very distantly related to Nagas."

"There isn't much written about Nagas," Tom said.

Harry nodded his head. "The one book I found about them cost almost as much as the entire courtyard," he said quietly. "So I didn't get much time to look at it. You were going to talk about mermaids, though, not Nagas."

Tom smirked. "Shortly before I took my role in this war, I traveled all over the world, training myself with the best fighters in the world," he said. "And during that time, I also looked for ways to achieve immortality."

"Where did you find it?" Harry asked.

"In a small corner of Japan," Tom replied. "A relatively obscure Japanese legend combined with the consequences of the Muggle American's actions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to something of a miracle," he said.

A particularly loud burst of thunder caught their attention and they watched the storm for a moment before Tom continued speaking.

"According to this particular Japanese legend, devouring the flesh of a specific species of mermaids is the key to immortality," Tom said. "Prior to the bombings of those two cities, only a few of that species actually existed."

"But after the bombing?"

Tom smirked. "The species thrived, and adapted to the remaining radiation. There is a Lord level Wizard in Japan who ate one of them," he said. "Not only is he immortal, but he is immune to any and all poison, and it is physically impossible for him to die by water."

Harry said nothing for a moment, still absorbing what Tom was telling him. "Is this why you asked me about the sushi?" he asked.

Tom chuckled. "I'm impressed that you remembered that question," he said. "But that does have something to do with this."

"This is a lot to take in all at once," Harry said.

"I am well aware of that," he said. He finished off his glass of wine and looked over at Harry. "This is where we'll end our conversation for now," he said. "I am well aware that I did not answer all of your questions, but we will have plenty of time to discuss this in the near future. You need to get some sleep."

"I'm not tired," Harry protested.

Tom smirked. "Despite that, I want you to go back to bed," he said. "You may not fall asleep right away, but I would feel better knowing that you are at least pretending to take proper care of your body. You are still recovering."

Harry glared at the older man. "I'm not fragile," he said.

"I know you're not," Tom said. "And I would never presume to think as much."

"Then why do you think that I still need to recover?" Harry asked.

Tom hesitated for a moment. "I've got a feeling that this war is going to get much more intense much more quickly," he said. "And I do not want you to be at less than your best during this war."

"Do you expect me to fight?" Harry asked.

"I would greatly appreciate your assistance in the war, but I will not force you into battle," Tom said as he stood up and held out his hand for Harry to take.

The younger man took it and stood up. "Do I get a good night kiss this time?" he asked with a grin.

Tom was silent for a long moment.

Harry took that as his chance. He pulled Tom's head down and kissed the Dark Lord chastely on the lips. "Good night, Dark Lord," he said quietly.

He rested his forehead against Harry's and smirked at the younger man. "You are bold, brat," he muttered before leaning down and kissing the young man. "Good night, Harry," he said quietly.


	18. In Need of A Distraction

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: I kind of went crazy with the "..." things this chapter. Sorry about that. And goddammit, why am I watching the Jersey Shore?

...

Chapter 18: In Need of A Distraction

...

The next morning, Harry woke up not to the insistence of yet another house elf with violent tendencies, but instead to the heavy rumblings of thunder. He felt the comforting weight of Aviva on his back and decided not to move.

"_I know you're awake, child_," Aviva hissed after a moment.

"_Good for you, but I'm not going to move_," Harry hissed gently.

Aviva chuckled quietly. "_Good_," she said. "_Because I am rather comfortable_," she added before going back to sleep.

"_I missed you, Aviva_," he said, closing his eyes.

...

Half an hour later, when the thunderstorm wound down and Aviva started moving around on the bed, Harry drifted awake, not entirely sure when he'd fallen back asleep. It took him a minute before he realized that Nagini had joined them in the room, and that she and Aviva were planning a new attack on the house elves.

"_You could just ambush them in the kitchen_," he suggested as he turned his head to get a face full of basilisk scales. "_Aviva, move,_" he said, shoving her away from his face.

She did so, hissing out a quiet laughter.

"_I have promised your mate that I will not enter the kitchen again_," Nagini hissed.

Harry grinned sleepily. "_Again?_" he asked.

"_When I was only fifteen feet, I thought I could ambush the house elves and catch one, but they nearly soaked me with boiling oil_," she said. "_Had my human not been in the room, I would likely have died._"

"_Do you have any better suggestions_?" Aviva asked.

Harry thought about it for a moment and shook his head. "_I'll think about it_," he said before slowly getting out of the bed. He headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

...

Half an hour later he walked out of the bathroom, toweling his hair dry. He half expected to find the two snakes curled up on the bed, still discussing their attack plans, but the room was empty.

Mixie appeared into the room, looking very much frightened, and looked over at Harry. "Master's guest is being receiving a letter. Master is being holding it in Master's study until Master's guest is being coming down to get it," she said.

Harry watched her for a minute. "The snakes are hunting again, aren't they?" he asked.

Mixie nodded vigorously. "Master is being telling Mixie to run faster and Mixie won't be worrying about being eaten," she said. "But the snakes are being much faster than Mixie is being able to run."

"Just hide in the kitchen for now, then," Harry said before walking into his closet. He quickly pulled on a pair of baggy black jeans and a green long-sleeved Henley, spelled his hair dry, and made his way out of his room, ignoring the occasional panicked house elf running past him.

As soon as he walked into Tom's office, the Dark Lord motioned to a letter resting on the edge of his desk. "That arrived for you about an hour ago," he said without looking up from the parchment on his desk. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Harry nodded silently. "I did, yes," he said, picking up the letter and making himself comfortable in the armchair by the fireplace. "Nagini said in a roundabout way that we're mates," he said, absently opening the letter.

Tom chuckled quietly. "It is the closest word that she knows to describe what we are, and I see no reason to correct her," he said. "Mates are intimately connected for their lives, whether they know it or not, and that seems close enough to what a Match is that the term works, at least for her."

"Oh," Harry said quietly before pulling the letter out of the envelope.

The letter was from Tobias, that much was obvious. The ornately detailed calligraphy would have served as enough of an indication on its own, but the opening line gave it away completely.

...

My Precious Little Boy, he wrote.

I miss you. And I miss the sight of your bare chest in the morning, but that is another issue entirely. Send me a picture sometime, would you?

Anyway, I am going to assume that you are safe with the Dark Lord, though even thinking that phrase leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I would much rather have you safe with me, in my home, where no one would so much as think of harming you, but that is obviously not the way things turned out. If this Dark Lord does not measure up to your standards, though, all you need do is send a letter to Pepper with my name and I will secret you away to a tropical island - or my home - where it can be just the two of us for eternity.

Have you heard anything of Cain since his disappearance? In spite of his pesky little allegiance to his Lord, he was a friend of mine and I would like to know what's happened to him. Pepper has heard nothing, save for a few snide remarks from the Light soldiers who still attempt to make life difficult for those of us living in the courtyard.

I am in contact with my queen, and hopefully my own kind will welcome me back into their midst. For now, though, Pepper is allowing me to make use of the cot in her attic, as long as I play the part of guard dog for her. As you might imagine it, I am somewhat miserable here, especially without your beauty to distract me from the complete and utter lack of anything interesting in this courtyard.

You likely remember that you told me to destroy the shop. Cain will have both of our necks when he finds out what we've done, and I hope you know that I will be laying the blame entirely on you. The deed is done, and all that remains of Serpicos is half a brick. I would tell you how I went about doing that, but it is going to be impossible for me to stay attractive to you if you know all my secrets. Such is the price of my devotion, little boy.

...

Harry laughed aloud at that, catching Tom's attention, but neither of them said anything at the moment. Harry didn't look up from the letter, so he didn't see the Dark Lord inspecting him for a minute before going back to reading the papers in front of him.

...

The letter continued:

You may remember, before all this started, that you were supposed to be taking your final exams. That has not changed, little boy, though I did have some difficulty tracking down an appropriate proctor to administer those exams. You may not believe me, but those people are remarkably willing to risk their positions for the most ridiculous things, so it took me quite a while to find someone who I was willing to trust. Even if it means that they're going to be dead shortly after they complete what they have been paid for, but I suppose that's another issue - one that you don't need to concern yourself with.

The man I found will be contacting you within the next week, setting up a date, time, and place for your tests to be administered. He will be unable to reschedule this, so do not skip out on these tests, and I expect you to get near perfect marks.

His name, if I recall correctly, is Gregory Olsen, though I could be wrong. He is an insignificant little creature, and being around him only led to me pitying him. You may wish to refer to him by the proper name, though. You humans have your adorable little practice of common courtesy that I find utterly adorable, even if useless much of the time.

...

Harry scowled as Tobias, for some reason, started to deviate from the point of his letter into a rather disturbing fantasy of his involving the two of them, a water bed, and a dull blade. He skimmed through the three pages of this fantasy, growing more and more disgusted as Tobias went into further detail.

Finally, at the bottom of the fourth page of the letter, Tobias seemed to remember what he was originally writing about.

...

I apologize. Let me stick to the point before I start convincing myself that you would be better off tied to my bed. While the imagery is delicious, I very much doubt you've got the time to sit through each and every one of my mental fantasies involving the two of us and a few specific accessories.

I wrote earlier in this letter that I have been in contact with my kind, the demons. If I am welcomed back into their society, this will likely be the last contact that we have with each other. Truly, honestly, I regret this. You are, without a doubt, one of the most entertaining humans I had the fortune to encounter, and I will miss our interactions.

Regardless of whether or not I am allowed to return to my home, I will likely not come back to England once I leave.

Were it not for the attempted exorcism - which was much more successful than I care to remember - I would stay here and fight the idiots, but I cannot risk it. They know my weakness, and they know how to kill me. Call me a coward if you must, but I have lived long enough to know when the smartest thing to do is turn tail and run. Keep that advice in mind yourself, as those soldiers will soon have you in their sights. You are, after all, considered the prophecy child and their Saviour. Yes, little boy, I knew. Forgive me - or not - but I thought it best that you be kept safe and away from the manipulations of both sides of this war until you were able to hold your own against them both.

This Dark Lord will lie to you, and likely draw blood, as you already know. He has not tried to hide this, though, and I doubt he ever will. It is often smarter to align with the man who is honest about his dishonesty rather than those who deny practicing that sort of behavior. That is to say, this Dark Lord is likely safer for you than those fighting against him. Even if he is a contemptuous little prick.

I'll end this letter with only my strongest hopes for you, and early birthday wishes. I must say, though, it is a damn shame that you have escaped my grasp before you were of age. I was so looking forward to educating you in the - how shall I phrase it? - pleasurable arts, and watching you grow up into such a gorgeous creature only spurred on that desire. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that your Dark Lord is going to take charge of your education in that department. I doubt he will ever measure up to me, though that may just be my narcissism rearing its beautiful head.

You have always been a smart boy, sometimes knowing more than you ought to. I trust that you will not allow your potential to go to waste. Do not allow your looks to go to waste either, little boy - unless you find a way to become immortal, they will eventually fade, and I would hate to hear that you have not enjoyed them in the centuries they will last.

Perhaps we will run into each other again, though I am more inclined to stay away from you if it keeps you safe. Trust yourself, and if you end up getting together with your Dark Lord, pleasesend pictures to Pepper. While she may not willingly pass them onto me, I will make sure I get my hands on them.

I suppose I love you, little boy, and while I don't usually approve of farewells, I suppose you've earned one.

Goodbye, Harry. Stay safe.

You have my love, and I will keep you in my thoughts (though they are rarely pure).

Tobias.

...

Harry leaned back in the chair, staring forlornly down at the letter. He read it again, tracing his fingers over the words as he did so.

...

Once he was sure that Harry was done reading the letter, Tom looked over at him and cleared his throat quietly, catching Harry's attention. "Is everything alright?" he asked, taking note of the look on the younger man's face.

"Tobias sends his best," Harry said after a minute. He slipped the letter back into the envelope, tucked it into a pocket in his jeans and looked over at Tom. "He says he might be going back to his home, but he's leaving England for good," he added. "What are you reading?"

Tom smirked. "Severus has been attempting to get back into my good graces by sending me every scrap of information that he can get his hands on, and while it is slightly encouraging that he has come back to me, he has yet to send me any sort of new or useful information," he said, shifting the papers off to the side. "A distraction would not be unwelcome at this point. And given the look on your face, you would appreciate it as well."

Harry looked up at him and smiled slightly. "What did you have in mind?" he asked.

"We spoke last night about the mermaid," Tom said. "Would you care to actually see it?" he asked.

Harry thought about it for a long moment before nodding. "That sounds fine," he said.

"Only fine?" Tom asked, standing up and offering his hand to Harry.

"It's not you," Harry said, taking the hand. "Tobias was a pain in the ass, with the flirting through my childhood, but he was a good friend. It's going to be weird walking around and not having to wonder if he'll be standing in the shadows, watching my ass when I walk past him," he said.

Tom offered Harry a small smile. "Come with me," he said. "I'll take you to the viewing room.

...

The room itself was rather small - it reminded Harry something of an museum viewing. Tom and Harry stepped into the room, and less than ten feet away was a large aquarium, stretching from the floor to the ceiling and clearly larger than it appeared. The water inside was slightly murky, but Harry could make out a number of aquatic plants and what looked to be a rather large blue and orange octopus.

"An octopus?" he asked, looking up at Tom.

"Either food or companionship for my little mermaid," Tom said. He watched the front of the aquarium for a moment and smirked slightly. "Speak of the creature," he said, motioning for Harry to look back at the glass.

A large fish swam up to the front of the glass, swimming back and forth.

Harry's jaw very nearly dropped as he inspected the mermaid. "It doesn't look like what I thought a mermaid would look like," he said.

Tom chuckled. "Years of being hunted for what it can give has caused the species to change into something that had more of a defense than a hypnotic singing voice," he said. "And the radiation from the bombs during the Muggles' second World War helped to increase their defenses."

"Good for it, but that doesn't change the fact that it looks like the illegitimate child of a great white shark and a moray eel," Harry muttered, eyeing the fish suspiciously.

The fish itself was a pale silvery green, with light yellow eyes that glowed in the murky water. It started watching Harry, swimming back and forth slowly as it inspected the newcomer in the room.

"How big is it?" Harry asked quietly.

"She's about twenty three feet long, and she's over two tons in weight," Tom replied. "And since using magic on her will negate the immortality effect, that made it a bitch to transport her here from Nagasaki. The dorsal fin on her back runs the entire length of her spine, and if she gets irritated, it will become rigid and able to cut through human flesh in an instance."

Harry looked back at the mermaid.

"The same thing happens with the fins she uses to propel herself through the water, and there is a venomous spike in her tail," Tom continued. "And, of course, her teeth are each nearly eight inches long and incredibly sharp."

"So it's difficult for people to use her for immortality?" Harry asked.

Tom nodded. "Nearly impossible, actually," he said. "But I've found a way and I will not be deterred when I've made it this close to getting what I want," he said. "What do you think?" Tom asked.

Harry made to take a step closer to the large aquarium, but Tom grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back up against his chest. "Do not get too close. It is not a tame creature," he said.

"Then why did you bring it here?"

"I was not willing to risk some amateur or some Muggle capturing my fish," Tom said. "It is preserved in this environment, and while the fish itself isn't particularly happy with being in captivity, it's not going to suffer at all."

Harry stayed silent for a moment, staring at the fish. As he did so, he noticed that the fish stopped swimming and started eyeing him in return. "How is the ritual done?" he asked after a minute.

The fish raised its dorsal fin and bared it's teeth at Harry. Had it not been underwater, Harry supposed that it might have hissed at him.

"We're not going to discuss that here," Tom said quietly, pulling Harry closer to him and barely restraining himself from hissing back at the mermaid. "It is intelligent enough to know what we're saying, and I don't doubt that it has at least an idea why I brought it here," he said. "When we do discuss that, it will be far away from this room. I'm not taking any chances with this."

Harry nodded. "Got it," he said.

The mermaid bared it's teeth at the two of them again before turning and disappearing into the murky water. The octopus that Harry noticed earlier drifted out from the shadows to follow after the mermaid.

"Come with me," Tom said after a minute.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"You slept long enough to have missed breakfast, but if you'd like, we can take our lunch in the sunroom and you can watch the thunderstorm," Tom said.

Harry shifted out of Tom's hold. "That sounds good," he said. "But why would I watch the thunderstorm?" he asked.

"You merely strike me as the type to appreciate thunderstorms," Tom said, taking Harry's hand in his. "What would you like for lunch?"

Harry shrugged a bit.

Tom smirked. "There is seafood, or we can have some filet mignon, if you'd prefer," he said.

"The filet mignon sound good," Harry said. "And could we have strawberries as well?" he asked, looking hopefully up at the Dark Lord.

Tom smiled a bit. "Filet mignon and strawberries it is," he said quietly.

...

Watching the thunderstorm from the warmth and comfort of the sunroom was more interesting than Harry thought it would be. He and Tom made themselves comfortable in the grass near the shore of the pond, watching the storm for a long moment while they waited for the food to be prepared.

"How much more do you have to do before you win this little war of yours?" Harry asked.

"This little war of mine?" Tom asked, clearly amused.

"It doesn't seem to be a full blown war, and it's probably more than a conflict at this point, so I don't know what else to call it," Harry replied as Tom pulled him to sit between his legs.

Tom smirked and pressed a kiss to Harry's neck. "Since you're with me, I am much closer to the end of all this than I previously thought," he said. "All I need do is get rid of about five hundred soldiers, and a few key people on the Light side, and then Great Britain is mine."

"Then what? And who are those key people?" Harry asked, leaning back against Tom's chest and interlacing their fingers.

"Which question would you like me to answer first?" Tom asked.

Harry paused as a particularly bright collection of lightning strikes peppered the countryside. The thunder sounded shortly after the bolts, and Harry grinned. "The storm's almost right on top of us," he said quietly. "Bull taught me when I was seven years old, during the first big storm in the courtyard, how to measure storms. Every five seconds that passes after a lightning strike is a mile that it is away from you. And I don't care which answer comes first, as long as I get both answers," he said.

Tom laughed quietly and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist. "I have a number of treaties in place with Ministries throughout Europe and Asia," he said. "The governments and Lords who rule about twenty seven countries have agreed to establish alliances and agreements with this country once I have established myself as the ruling Lord," he said.

Harry said nothing for a minute. Finally, he looked up at Tom. "Why only then?" he asked.

"The Ministry, under a number of the previous of Ministers and the influence of Albus Dumbledore, started isolating itself from the rest of our world. This cannot be allowed to continue," Tom said. "As for the key players, there are about seventy five of them, so I will not list them all right now."

He fell silent as three house elves popped into the room and set down a small table piled with two plates of filet mignons, a large bowl of fresh strawberries, and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon with two glasses.

"Wine?" Harry asked as Tom poured each of them a glass. "Really?"

Tom smirked. "If you'd rather me treat you like a child and only serve you tea, I am not opposed to doing so," he said. "Though I much more prefer thinking of you as an adult."

Harry shook his head. "I've never had red wine before," he said. "Just Muggle vodka with Pepper, and some of Cain's brandy." He grinned. "Cain was visiting with Irwin, about a year ago, and Tobias was supposed to be babysitting me," he said, picking up a strawberry. "But we ended up getting tipsy on some of Cain's best brandy and then hexing the fountain in the courtyard."

"How so?" Tom asked.

"I spelled it to shoot fire, and Tobias spelled it so that the water turned into dancing boys that looked eerily like me," Harry said. "He managed to get three lap-dances from the creatures before Pepper came out and pretty much locked us up in her shop until we sobered up," he said with a grin. "And then she put spells on the fountain to prevent anyone else from hexing it again. Who are some of the key players, then, if you're not going to list all of them?"

Tom took a sip of his red wine. "The two most important of the players are probably Albus Dumbledore and the Longbottom brat," he said calmly.

"Albus? Have Severus do it," Harry said quietly, biting in the strawberry and humming in satisfaction.

Tom watched him for a minute, thinking over the suggestion. He picked up a strawberry and offered it to Harry. "It might be the best way for him to prove his complete loyalty to me," he said quietly. "Order him to kill Albus, and if he refuses, I'll just kill him. That only leaves the brat."

Harry plucked the strawberry from Tom's hand and leaned back to kiss Tom's Adam's apple. "_I could do it_," he hissed in Parseltongue before biting into the strawberry.

The Dark Lord looked down at him, watching him calmly for a moment.

"I've done it once before," Harry said quietly, looking back out the window to watch the thunderstorm again. "And I could do it again."

Tom hummed quietly, resting his chin on top of Harry's head. "I'll think on it," he said quietly.


	19. Interruptus

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: Harry shows a bit of his dark side and he gets creative, Tom gets to be a bit more than a bit OOC (but hopefully it isn't too bad), and there is knifeplay in this chapter. If any of that disturbs you ... I'm not sure. I might be convinced to fix you an invisible batch of cookies to make you feel better, but that's a long shot. I suck at invisible cooking. Nearly burned down my invisible house last time, and all my big brother said was "I didn't see what you did there!" Oh dear, he's oh-so-clever, or at least he likes to think so.

Shit, I'm going off topic. Anyway, the warnings are in the first sentence, and the story begins just a few lines below. Enjoy.

...

Chapter 19: Interruptus

...

After they finished their filet mignon and were absently nibbling on the rest of the strawberries, Tom summoned a black dagger that looked sharp enough to slice through the placid water of the pond, if tit were possible. He flipped it over so that the blade rested in his hands and he offered the handle to Harry. "If I were to give you permission to kill Longbottom, how would you do it?" he asked, sounding almost curious.

"Using this blade, you mean?"

Tom shrugged a bit. "Or something similar to it," he said.

Harry smirked and took hold of the handle. "Lay back," he said.

Tom arched an eyebrow and did not move.

"Please?" Harry asked. He gestured at Tom's chest with the blade coming dangerously close to nicking the Dark Lord more than once, making the man wonder if it had been such a good idea to supply the boy with a sharpened weapon. "I prefer to go with hands-on demonstrations when I've got the chance," Harry said with a mischievous smirk.

Tom frowned lightly but leaned back in the grass anyway, keeping himself propped up on his forearms so he could see everything that was going on. "Do not make your demonstrations too realistic," he said in a light tone that belied the threat behind the warning.

Harry hummed noncommittally before moving closer to Tom. "I won't draw too much blood, if that's what you're telling me," he said before maneuvering himself so that he was straddling Tom. "Would you rather I kill the boy when he's awake, or while he's asleep?" he asked, dragging the blade lightly over his fingers. He accidentally cut his thumb and scowled, sucking on the cut while he waited for an answer.

Tom watched Harry for a minute. "The choice is yours," he said with a smirk.

"Awake, then," Harry purred, setting the blade down on the ground near Tom's left shoulder. "But restrained. May I?"

"You may not," Tom said. "You have taken enough liberties thus far."

Harry pouted slightly. "And I suppose that if the two of us do end up using restraints, I would be the one getting tied up," he said, brightening a bit. "Not that I'm opposed to that."

Tom smirked but said nothing.

"Back to the demonstration, then," Harry said. "You wouldn't happen to have a duller blade for me to use, would you?" he asked.

Tom shook his head. "You'll have to make do with the one I gave you," he said. "And try not to take too long, otherwise I will change my mind about considering you for this task."

Harry smiled a bit as he picked up the knife and leaned a bit closer to Tom. "You've no appetite for torturing this Longbottom person?" he asked. "Short and sweet without any foreplay?"

The Dark Lord smirked again, leaning up to kiss Harry before saying anything. "If you plan on foreplay with blades, pet, I might just keep you here with me," he said.

Harry laughed quietly. He slid the knife down the length of Tom's shirt, popping the buttons off and slicing the shirt open to reveal Tom's torso. He leaned back a bit, taking a moment to take in the man's looks while he could. He had a slight tan - which was odd, as Harry had thought that the Dark Lord would have been nearly as pale as a vampire - and he was well built. "Who would have guessed that the Dark Lord is toned enough to have a six pack?" he asked, ghosting his fingers over the muscles and grinning when they twitched at the contact.

Tom said nothing, merely observing Harry silently.

"I don't suppose that Longbottom is built as impressively as you are," Harry said, his grin morphing into a lazy smirk, "but I suppose I can make do." He trailed the handle of the blade along Tom's side, not missing the hiss that elicited. "So, the boy will be awake, but restrained and fully aware of what's going to happen to him."

"Will you silence him?" Tom asked.

Harry thought about it for a minute before shaking his head. "I'll silence the room, but Tobias once told me that listening to the begging and pleading of your victims is a high unlike any other," he said. "Not so much with the screaming, though." He rested the flat side of the blade on Tom's chest before nicking the man lightly just under his left nipple. "Little cuts to start out," he said vaguely, as though he were thinking about the process in great detail. "To worm out any useful information."

"What sort of information do you suppose he would know?" Tom asked as Harry lightly twitched the blade over his chest again, opening three more small wounds - though none of them much more serious than a paper cut.

"I don't know," Harry said, leaning in for another kiss. "That's the joy of discovery. See what he offers, and once that gets boring, or when he starts getting too hysterical, I'll really get down to business," he said.

"How so?" Tom asked, leaning up to trail kisses along the line of Harry's jaw.

Harry smiled lazily and dragged the blade lightly down Tom's chest, bringing up a light trail of blood as he did so. "Open the chest a bit," he said quietly as Tom started nipping at his jaw and neck. "Enough to show that I'm not fucking around." He stopped at Tom's navel and then went across the man's waist, to his side. "Is this where about the kidneys are?" he asked, pointing at the horizontal cut.

"Underneath the intestines, yes," Tom said, leaning back. "Though you will not be groping through my internal organs during this demonstration. And if you didn't have that much time, what would you do?" he asked.

"I'd dissect the hands. There are plenty of nerves and tendons and other little bits that supposedly hurt like a bitch when they're cut," Harry said, gesturing the point of the blade at Tom's left hand. "But I'm not demonstrating any of that with you."

Tom smirked and took the blade out of Harry's hold. "Interesting techniques," he said, setting the blade on the ground. "There is, though, the unfortunate predilection of those being tortured to just tell you what they think you want to hear."

"Then why use the knife at all?" Harry asked with a low purr. "If a few choice spells will do the trick just as well?"

"I don't usually use the knives for interrogation," Tom said as he silently healed himself.

Harry grinned wickedly. "You prefer to keep them in the bedroom, then?" he asked.

Tom looked at Harry oddly for a moment. "On rare occasions, perhaps," he said. "Though, as you just said, why use the knife at all, if a few choice spells will do the trick just as well?" he asked with a smirk.

"Which spells?"

"There's plenty of time for that sort of foreplay later," Tom said coolly, arching an eyebrow at the younger man.

Harry frowned and leaned forward so that he was laying on top of Tom. His hands strayed to the Dark Lord's chest again. "Don't tell me you're too old to engage in some mid-day foreplay," he said, absently pressing a kiss to the man's collarbone. "And here I thought Dark Lords were supposed to -"

Before he had the chance to finish that sentence, Tom had flipped the two of them over and was almost glaring at Harry while he inspected him.

Harry was on his back, watching the Dark Lord almost expectantly. "Are we actually going to do anything, or do you plan on just staring at me?" he asked, fidgeting impatiently under Tom's inspection.

"You are behaving strangely," Tom said quietly.

Aviva laughed as she and Nagini moved into the room. "_Actually, he behaved quite a bit like this when he spent time alone with Tobias_," she hissed. "_That he is behaving like this with you shows a progression of your mating, though I would much rather my child rut in his den than in a public room such as this_," she hissed, affectionately butting her head against Harry's left wrist.

Harry looked over at her. "_That's not as much fun, though,_" he hissed.

Tom smirked and kissed Harry roughly.

Nagini chuckled, as much as a snake could, and moved closer to the two of them. "_The two of you make a rather captivating pairing,_" she hissed before looking over at Harry. "_Though the boy could use a proper grooming. He looks like a ruffian._"

Harry scowled at the viper, and she chuckled again.

Tom kissed Harry's Adam's Apple but said nothing.

"_Aviva, I thought you considered it a personal attack when someone insulted either of us. What happened_?" he asked.

"_You are old enough to defend yourself without my assistance_," she hissed amusedly. "_And I have decided to not let you rely so heavily on my defense of you_."

Nagini looked over at Tom. "_Continue with what you were doing_," she said, laughing quietly. "_I would like to see how humans mate_."

Tom scowled at Nagini. "_The number of times that you spied on me, or the number of times that you spied on my followers when they thought they weren't being watched, didn't clue you in on how it's done_?" he asked.

She laughed quietly. "_The two of you seem like you'll be an attractive pairing, and I would like the chance to affirm that._"

Harry reached up and grabbed the back of Tom's neck, forcing the Dark Lord to look back down at him. "Let me be frank," he said, cutting off the man's response. "Our previous conversation and actions have inspired an urge in me to get off," he said with a smirk. "I can do this with or without you, and while I'm not averse to a solo performance, I'm more keen on something of a duet, as it were."

Tom smirked. "Brat," he muttered affectionately, looking down at Harry before staring pointedly at the two snakes near them. "_We are going into another room, and the two of us are not to be disturbed. Or spied on,_" he instructed, helping Harry to his feet.

The younger man laughed quietly before following the Dark Lord out of the room.

Despite a growing urge to just shove Harry against a wall, Tom merely led the younger man to his office. Harry didn't seem too opposed to the silence - in fact, he seemed to share something of a similar sentiment.

As soon as they walked into the office, though, Harry all but slammed the door shut and smirked challengingly at the Dark Lord.

Tom pushed Harry against his office door, making sure to spell it locked before kissing Harry roughly, slipping his hands underneath Harry's shirt as he did so.

Harry pulled away after a moment, panting lightly. "Are Aviva and Nagini alone with a sharpened knife?" he asked quietly.

Tom shook his head slightly. "It was sent back into the kitchen, where it came from," he said.

"You keep knives that sharp in the kitchen?" Harry asked. "Aren't you worried about the house elves using them against the snakes in that little war of theirs?" he asked as he pulled his shirt off. "Since the snakes have their fangs, and all."

"I didn't realize you were so interested in Nagini's hunting habits," Tom said quietly, resting his hands on Harry's hips.

Harry shrugged. "Aviva hasn't ever had a companion like Nagini, and since she's been with me since we met, it's interesting to see her bonding with Nagini the way that she has," he said. "And it's even more interesting the way that Nagini's just taken her under her wing, so to speak."

Tom smirked. "As we are Matches, it would not come as too much of a surprise if they were to become mates themselves," he said. "Now, would you like to get back to what you started, or would you rather move onto another pointlessly amusing topic?" he asked, muttering a spell that restrained Harry's hands to a small hook on the door that hadn't been there a moment ago.

Harry looked up at his hands and back at the Dark Lord. He grinned. "You don't like being interrupted, do you?" he asked.

"Coitus interruptus, brat, is going to be put on that list of things that I will not accept from you," Tom growled before leaning down to claim Harry's lips roughly.

Harry deliberately moaned into the kiss, smirking slightly when the Dark Lord pushed him further against the wall and deepened the kiss.

They were just about to take things a step further when an Owl flew into the room through an open window. It screeched loudly as the charm on the wards sounded, and Tom swore loudly, stepping away from Harry.

Harry scowled at the owl and looked around for his shirt.

The bird apparently did not appreciate being ignored and dropped the letter it was carrying on Harry's head before flying back out the open window.

"How did that bird get through your wards?" Harry asked, glaring at the window.

"Your Tobias may have used blood magic or something similar to get the letter to you regardless of the wards you are sheltered under. I can protect against just about everything but the sort of magic that demons use," Tom said. "Who is the letter from?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "But it's probably the proctor for my final exams," he said. "Unless Tobias forgot to tell me something. Could you untie me now?" he asked, tugging on the restraints still keeping his wrists tied to the hook in the door.

He frowned slightly. "You do make such the lovely picture, though, shirtless and aroused and ready for whatever I choose to give you," he said.

Harry scowled. "Would you please untie me, oh great and powerful and extremely well-endowed Dark Lord?" he asked in a deadpan voice, not losing his scowl. "Even if only so I can check my letter to make sure that the demon obsessed with getting me in a situation very much like this one has not decided to come back to abduct me to his demonic bed."

Tom picked the letter up from the floor and waited a moment before releasing Harry from his bonds. He allowed the younger man to pull his shirt back on before Tom handed him the letter.

"Are you going to check why the wards were chiming?" Harry asked, opening the letter.

"In a moment," Tom said, re-buttoning his shirt and quickly collecting himself. Within three minutes, there were no signs whatsoever that he'd been at knifepoint, or that he'd engaged in quite the aggressive - if brief and interrupted - make-out session with the younger man.

Harry grinned at the man, knowing that he looked much less put together.

The letter was short and written in block letters, which immediately ruled out Tobias as the author.

...

Harry Potter:

I was hired by a particularly devilish creature named Tobias to proctor your final exams.

I have arranged for a private room in the Leaky Cauldron for you to take your final exams.

Your exams will be proctored on August 5, at 10:00 in the morning. I will be waiting for you in room 214.

The exams will last until 5:30 at night, and you will have a one hour break to eat at 1:00.

Do not be late. Do not bring any notes, and do not try to cheat.

Gregory Oliver

...

Harry handed the letter to Tom, who quickly read it over while the younger man straightened his shirt a bit and pulled his hair back into a low ponytail.

"Your tests are next week," he said, looking back up at Harry. "Will you be able to get to the Leaky Cauldron on your own, or do you need an escort?" he asked, returning the letter to Harry.

Harry shook his head. "I can get there on my own, yeah. I've been to Diagon Alley one or two times," he said. "Do you mind if I spend the next few hours in the library, looking over a few things that I know are going to be on the exams?" he asked.

Tom shook his head, smirking a bit. "Make yourself comfortable there," he said, just before the wards chimed again. "And call for Mixie if you need anything."

"You're going to ask not to be disturbed with whoever it is that's here to see you, aren't you?" Harry asked.

Tom merely opened the door enough for Harry and himself to walk out. "Do you know how to get to the library from here?" he asked.

Harry paused. "It's on the third floor, isn't it?" he asked.

"No, it's not. Mixie," Tom called quietly, hiding a sigh when the house elf appeared with an unnecessarily large number of bandages wrapped around her right ear. "Take Harry to the library and make sure that he doesn't get lost," he said when she appeared in front of the two of them.

"Thank you," Harry said before following the oddly-silent house elf through the halls. "Did Aviva get you?" he asked once he was at the door of the library.

The house elf just whimpered and disappeared with a loud pop.

Harry bit back a quiet chuckle - apparently Aviva learned quickly how to hunt, and it appeared she was rather good at it, for a blind snake - and headed into the library.

...

Sixteen hours later, Tom walked into the library in search of a text that Lucius had requested to help with one of the many bills he was trying to pass. He stopped suddenly when he saw Harry, asleep on the floor and using three large books for a pillow.

"Mixie," he called quietly.

The house elf popped in and, immediately upon seeing Harry, started wringing her hands. "Mixie is sorry, Master, but Master's guest is saying that is not to be needing anything and if he could please not be being disturbed while he is being studying for his final exams," she said.

"How long has he been asleep?" he asked, looking over the titles that were being used as pillows. Two of them were cursory texts about Transfigurations and Charms, while the other was a more obscure book on Animagus transformations that had information that wouldn't be covered on the exam. He frowned slightly, wondering if the younger man had managed to complete his transformation - at such a young age it was considered nearly impossible, and if Harry managed to complete it willingly, he'd likely be one of the youngest in history to do so.

"Master's guest is being sleeping for two hours," Mixie said, watching Tom nervously. "Does Master want Mixie to wake Master's guest?" she asked.

Tom shook his head. "No," he said. "I'll take care of it. You're dismissed." He knelt down and picked Harry up, smirking when the younger man mumbled something about Aviva being stuck in a key lime pie. He carried Harry through the halls, ignoring the curious look that Nagini sent his way when he passed her moving toward the sunroom.

When Tom walked into the sitting room, he found Lucius standing by the fireplace, looking like he'd just gotten out of a too-long meeting. The Malfoy took in the sight of the Dark Lord carrying a sleeping sixteen year old boy and immediately bit back a smirk. "My lord?" he asked.

Tom scowled at the blonde. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"You informed me that you wanted me to speak with you here as soon as I was done with the discussion in the Wizangamot," Lucius said. "There is a bill that you may be particularly interested in," he added.

Tom laid Harry down on the couch in front of the fireplace and summoned a light blanket.

"Is he -"

"Sleeping," Tom said as Harry started mumbling again, though this time it had something to do with vodka and a rabbit. "He spent an inordinate amount of time in the library over the past two days, reviewing for his final exams."

Lucius nodded, smirking slightly. "If only my son carried the same ambition," he said. "Though Harry does appear a bit young."

"He was privately tutored," Tom said, straightening himself and making sure that Harry wasn't waking up. "We're going to have our conversation in private, though," he said, glancing once more at Harry before striding out of the room, Lucius not far behind him.

...

"My Lord?" Lucius asked once they were both comfortably seated in the Dark Lord's office. He found himself staring at the hook on the door, but he clearly couldn't bring himself to ask about it.

Tom smirked. "You may ask your question," he said.

"What, exactly, is your relationship with Harry?" Lucius asked after a long moment.

Tom paused for a moment. "You are aware that there is no such thing as a soul mate," he said quietly.

Lucius smirked. "My wife would beg to differ, but she is a hopeless romantic at heart," he said. "Am I to understand that you see this boy, Harry, as an equivalent to your soul mate?" he asked.

Tom remained silent.

Lucius said nothing for a long moment. "Is this something that will be made known to the rest of the Death Eaters, my lord?" he asked.

"Not for a while," Tom said. He leaned back in his chair. "He's offered his assistance in finishing this war, and his presence and willingness to fight for me has pushed things into something of the final chapter," he said.

"How so, My Lord?" Lucius asked.

Tom smirked coldly, and he saw the expression on Lucius' face that showed the man wondering if he'd overstepped his bounds. "He is the prophecy child, and he is willing to kill the Longbottom brat. You and the other Death Eaters in the Ministry have ensured that it is in our control. All that needs to be done for me to gain control of the British Wizarding World at large is eliminate Albus Dumbledore and those who support him," he said.

"With all due respect, My Lord, you're making that sound much easier than it's actually going to be," Lucius said. "You've been trying to kill Dumbledore since my generation of the Death Eaters was attending Hogwarts."

His left eyebrow twitched in annoyance and Tom glared at the blonde man. "I am well aware of that, Lucius," he said. "But he is getting old, and he's going to risk a lot to get his hands on the prophecy child. And taking those risks will expose his weaknesses."

Lucius frowned. "Does Harry know that you're planning on using him as bait?" he asked.

"I am the Dark Lord, Lucius. I do not need to consult anyone in my service before establishing and executing a plan," Tom said coolly, and Lucius had enough sense to look properly embarrassed for knowingly overstepping his bounds. "If it eases your mind," Tom said after a long moment. "Harry is valuable enough to me that I'm not going to put him in that position without first informing him what to expect."

Lucius stayed silent, not entirely sure what to say in response to that.


	20. Birthday Farewells

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: I had fun writing this chapter - and now, hopefully, you can have fun reading it. Mainly because **Spoiler:** I had the chance to bring in my baby demon for an encore. Anyhow, this is starting to wind down (the way this is planned out, I don't think there will be more than 30 chapters to this story) and that's got me in a mix of YAY!progress, and FUCK!it's almost over.

As a side note (and I don't know if I'm technically allowed to do this, but what the hell), if you dig Batman (especially with the Batsy/Joker pairing), check out KitCat Italica, because she does fucking _amazing _stories with the Nolan-verse characters.

...

Chapter 20: Birthday Farewells

...

Harry woke up when he felt the bed sinking with the weight of someone sitting down next to him. He groaned and shoved his head under his pillow, trying to go back to sleep. Quiet, oddly familiar laughter caught his attention, but he refused to emerge out from under the pillow.

"Little boy," came the quiet purr as a pair of hands landed on his hips, toying with the elastic waistband of his boxers. "I will not hesitate to come in after you," Tobias purred. He crawled onto the bed, caging Harry with his arms and legs, and bit at the back of Harry's neck with his fanged canines.

Harry peeked out from under his pillow, his eyes hazy with sleep and disbelief. "_You said in your letter that you were gone_," he hissed sleepily.

Tobias hummed quietly as he leaned down to press himself more fully against Harry. "I can't understand you, little boy," he said. "Speak English."

"I thought I was," Harry groused as he turned over to look at the incubus more fully. "And I thought you were going back to wherever your home is," he said.

Tobias smirked. "You know Pepper," he said with a wink. "She refused to let me leave without giving you a proper farewell. Of course, I didn't put up all that much of a resistance when she somehow convinced your Dark Lord to allow me entrance into this somewhat fascinating Manor."

Harry laughed quietly as Tobias wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a more seated position. He sank into the familiar embrace with a smile and closed his eyes.

"Why have you started wearing boxers to bed?" Tobias asked, once again toying with the elastic band of Harry's black boxers. "Your Dark Lord hasn't started compromising your morals, has he?" he asked, scowling lightly.

"Keep in mind that you were the one who started the compromising in the first place," Harry said quietly as Tobias kissed his jaw.

"I am well aware of that," the demon purred. "And I need to know if I need to have words with the man to make sure that he knows that corrupting you is my job." He leaned in to kiss Harry fully on the lips, but the younger man leaned back a bit. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Your Dark Lord?"

Harry bit his bottom lip and nodded. "He says we're Matches," he said.

Tobias let out a low whistle. "That's definitely something," he said with a grin. "Well then, I'm risking my life enough just holding you like this, so I guess I'll just have to make do with what I can get."

"Are you really leaving?" Harry asked.

Tobias nodded. "Come the noon hour, I'll be back in my home," he said. "And I won't be coming back, which makes it an utter shame that you've found your Match. Otherwise the two of us would be having a sendoff like no other."

Someone cleared his throat from the threshold of the room. "I informed you that you could wish the boy farewell," Tom said, glaring at the sight of the two of them. "Not that you could drape yourself over him like an intoxicated octopus."

The demon laughed quietly at the metaphor, deliberately pressing a kiss to the top of Harry's head. "I have had the little boy wrapped around my finger since we met, and that allows me a number of privileges," he said, the look in his eyes daring Tom to argue with him.

Harry looked over at the Dark Lord, whose eyes flashed dangerously. He frowned a bit but didn't move out of the demon's embrace. "We'll be down in a few minutes, Tom," he said.

Tom said nothing, instead glaring at Harry.

Neither of them said anything for a long moment, until Harry scowled and moved out of Tobias' hold.

"Happy?" the younger man asked.

"Ecstatic," Tom drawled. "Do not take too long," he said. "Lucius wanted to speak with you about something, and he will be arriving here in about half an hour."

Harry nodded. "We'll be in the dining room in five minutes," he said.

Tom growled quietly, glaring at Tobias for a moment before leaving the room.

As soon as the door shut behind the Dark Lord, Tobias let out a bark of laughter. "He's a right ray of sunshine, isn't he?" he asked. "He's not always like that, I would hope."

Harry shook his head, smiling a bit. "He's actually rather -"

"Oh dear Lucifer, you're in love," Tobias said, standing up. "Come now, we'll get you dressed so that we don't further irritate the man."

"I'm not in love," Harry said indignantly, following Tobias into his closet.

Tobias laughed quietly. "Not yet, maybe," he muttered under his breath. "But you're annoyingly close."

...

"So why else are you here?" Harry asked as Tobias watched him pull on a pair of baggy black jeans and a dark grey Henley.

"I cannot visit you without having ulterior motives?" Tobias asked with a smirk.

Harry laughed quietly. "You're showing up in a suit that looks like it cost more than the entire Serpicos shop, Tobias," he said. "You're normally not dressed up so formally unless Pepper's threatened you into attending some event or other with her."

"She did mention that she's going to miss her favorite trophy demon," he said as he pulled Harry's hair back and fastened it into a loose braid.

Harry grinned. "Has she started on her search for a new piece of arm candy?" he asked.

Tobias shrugged. "She has had the courtesy of waiting until I leave," he said. "Do not be surprised if she sends you a letter, informing you that you're her new trophy," he said, pulling a small black box out of the inner pocket of his suit coat. "I did stop by to wish you a happy birthday, though."

Harry stared at the box, saying nothing for a long moment.

"You didn't forgotten your birthday, did you?" Tobias asked.

Harry looked up at him, tinging slightly pink. "I've had some other things to deal with at the moment," he said quietly.

Tobias smirked, but slipped the box into Harry's front pocket. "Open that one later tonight," he said. "When you've got some time alone." He draped an arm over Harry's shoulder. "Are you prepared to see your Match?" he asked.

Harry shrugged a bit, looking up at Tobias. "Before he decides that you've had plenty of time to say your goodbyes and sends you on your merry way, you mean?" he asked.

Tobias laughed quietly, kissing Harry's temple. "Precisely," he said. "Remember, open that box when you've got some time alone," he added as they walked out of the room.

...

Harry walked over and took a seat next to Tom, who was reading the Daily Prophet and absently eating some grapes. "He's pretty much harmless, you know," he said, plucking a grape off of the man's plate. "Tobias is."

Tom ignored Harry, grabbing his hand when he reached out to take another grape. He laced their fingers together and looked over at Harry. "Harmless or not, I don't want to see you in that intimate of an embrace with the demon again."

"That's just fuckin' adorable," Tobias said dryly as he walked into the room. He bowed to Tom with an extravagant flourish. "You have my humblest apologies, Dark Lord, for incurring your jealousy. It will not happen again."

Harry bit back a grin as Tom bared his teeth at Tobias.

"See that it doesn't," he growled before going back to reading the newspaper. His thumb absently started rubbing the base of Harry's thumb, almost as though he was doing it subconsciously, but he didn't look up from the article he was reading.

Harry sent a smile Tobias' direction before leaning forward. He rested his chin on Tom's shoulder and started looking over the headlines of the newspaper. One in particular caught his attention and he started reading it.

...

A few minutes later, Lucius walked into the dining room, with a copy of the Daily Prophet tucked under his left arm. He stopped short when he noticed the position that Harry and the Dark Lord were in, and he looked over at Tobias, who'd taken a seat near the foot of the table and was toying with his gold tie.

The demon grinned at him, exposing fanged canines. "They grow up so fast, don't they?" he asked quietly, reclining a bit in his chair.

"I don't believe we've met," Lucius said.

Tobias shook his head and stood up. He smiled again, and this time, some of his hair fell loose of the ponytail that it was tied back in. "We haven't, but I recognize the Minister of Magic when I see him," he said, offering his hand to Lucius. "I go by Tobias Skinner," he said.

Lucius shook his hand. "Lucius Malfoy," he said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Tobias said. "You wouldn't happen to know which story has them so captivated, would you?" he asked.

Lucius smirked. "The Headmaster of Hogwarts has made some rather controversial headlines as of late," he said. "By refusing to allow certain non-human students to attend Hogwarts while vilifying others. He's been trying to ruin the name of one family because their eldest son was bitten by a vampire, and they took that case to the public," he said.

An odd expression passed over Tobias' face and he said nothing. "Which family is that?" he asked, standing up.

Lucius paused - he hadn't expected Tobias to be a full three inches taller than him, and that surprise showed clearly on his face. "The Talbot family," he said after a minute.

"The son is Dominick?" Tobias asked, and Lucius nodded.

Harry looked up from the newspaper. "Is he one of your other students?" he asked.

"I knew his grandfather," Tobias said. He walked over to Harry and wrapped his arms around the boy, ignoring the growl emanating from the Dark Lord. "This is where we say goodbye, little boy," he said.

Harry nodded and leaned back into the embrace. "I'm going to miss you, Tobias," he said with a sad smile at the man.

Tobias laughed quietly. "And I you, little boy," he said. He pressed a quick kiss to Harry's cheek. "I suppose I wish you well, Dark Lord," he said, looking over at Tom before leaving the room with only a nod to Lucius.

Lucius looked back over at Harry, who reached for a grape with his free hand.

"He was my tutor," Harry said, looking up at Lucius. "And my friend."

Tom looked up at Lucius. "Have a seat, Lucius," he said. "Would you like something to eat?"

"I'm fine, but thank you," the blonde said as he sat down. "This article has caused problems with a number of the people in the Ministry, including one woman who risked her life by asking me to reach out to you, My Lord," he said.

Tom smirked but said nothing.

Harry frowned. "Why would she ask you?" he asked.

"_There have been a number of rumors surrounding my little blonde's allegiances. He's managed to keep himself out of trouble thus far, but there is still a certain circle that refuses to stray from the belief that Lucius is essentially my right hand man_," Tom said quietly. "What did this woman want?" he asked, looking over at Lucius.

Lucius hesitated.

"Lucius?" Tom asked, though his tone had hardened a bit.

"She wanted to inform me that she's been seeing a vampire, and she is under the impression that you might have a more - how to put this diplomatically? - inclusive offer for the vampires," he said. "She is willing to seek out an audience with some of the highest ranking vampires to pass on your offer, or she is willing to see if they will send an emissary to meet with you."

Tom said nothing for a moment. "If an emissary is willing to meet with me, I am more than willing to engage in negotiations with them, but I will not entrust my plans with a woman who does not bear my mark," he said. "Unless she is willing to be marked?

"She has made it clear that she is going to stay neutral through the war," Lucius said.

"That's a pity," Tom said.

Lucius nodded. He looked over at Harry. "It is your birthday today, is it not?" he asked.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm seventeen today."

"A legal adult in our world," Lucius said with a smirk. "You are aware that you are the Potter heir, I would hope," he said.

Harry nodded, once again resting his chin on Tom's shoulder. "I am, yeah," he said. "Why?"

"Once you claim your title as the Potter Lord, which you are now free to do since you are of age, you have a family spot in the Wizengamot. You've also got a spot with the Hogwarts school governors," he said. "As I understand it, both of those seats have been unoccupied for the past four generations of the Potter family, and your family's reputation is in dire need of reparation."

"I don't mean to seem rude or anything, but why are you telling me this?" Harry asked quietly.

Lucius glanced at Tom, who said nothing. "Should you claim your title, you will be given the choice to take your family's seats," he said. "The Potters were once a highly revered political family, though about three centuries ago, they essentially disappeared from the political world."

Tom smirked. "What Lucius is trying to tell you, in his very convoluted way," he said, pressing a kiss to Harry's temple. "Is that he is very lonely as the head of one of the most powerful political families in this country, and if you were to properly educate yourself and reclaim the Potter seats, you may end up finally making things interesting for him," he said. "He's been looking for a decent challenge in that particular circle of our world for years now."

Harry grinned and kissed Tom before looking up at Lucius. "I've never thought that much about politics," he said. "But I'll definitely consider it."

Lucius opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, his wedding ring changed color from silver to a dark grey. He glanced down at the ring and scowled before standing up. "I must be going, My Lord," he said. "My wife and I are attending a ball later this evening and she has insisted that she wants my opinion on her newest gowns."

Harry laughed quietly. "Whipped," he muttered, earning a sharp look from Lucius.

"Married," the Minister said.

"Same thing," Harry said with a grin.

Tom smirked again but remained quiet.

"My lord," Lucius said, bowing to Tom. He glanced over at Harry. "Happy birthday, Harry," he said.

"Have fun at your ball, Lucius," Harry said.

Lucius frowned slightly but said nothing else as he left the room.

Once they were alone, Tom leaned back and pulled Harry into his lap. "When we first met, pet, and I asked your birthday, you mentioned June, and not July," he said.

Harry smiled slightly and leaned forward so that his forehead was pressed against Tom's forehead. "Cain didn't want to risk anyone putting the pieces together," he said. "Not only with the way I look and my scar, but my birthday would be a dead giveaway. He told me to tell anyone who asked that it was in June, not July," he said, adopting a cocky smirk. "And what gift do you have for me?" he asked.

Tom returned the smirk. "What makes you think I've got a gift for you?" he asked.

"Because you're my Match and you adore me," Harry said, moving to unbutton the Dark Lord's shirt. "And lavishing me with gifts is an easy way for you to get me into bed."

Tom laughed as he started nipping at Harry's jaw. "Why do I need to lavish you with anything when you are practically offering yourself to me on the dining room table?" he asked.

Harry laughed quietly as he pulled Tom's shirt open and moved his fingers down to the waistband of the man's trousers. "Unless you've got something else to offer me," he said. "I plan on opening my present."

"Am I correct in assuming that you think I am your present?" Tom asked, arching an eyebrow at Harry.

The younger man grinned at him. "Well, unless you've got something else to offer me," he said, trailing off as Tom took hold of his wrists, successfully stopping Harry from unfastening his pants.

"You received something from Pepper, and I'm sure that you received something from the demon that you have yet to open," Tom said. "And I have a feeling you'd like to discuss the general happenings of the ritual that will lead the both of us to becoming immortal," he said.

Harry brightened a bit. "Pepper sent me something?" he asked. "Where is it?"

"In the main sitting room," Tom said.

Harry grinned and leaned back. "Let's go, then," he said, crawling off of Tom.

The Dark Lord smirked and stood up, refastening his shirt as he did so. "Down the hall and on your left," he said.

...

In the sitting room was a large, nondescript brown box, just in front of the fireplace. A bright blue sparrow was fluttering around the room, and Harry grinned.

Tom eyed the bird suspiciously. "That wouldn't be the woman herself, would it?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "The sparrow means that we're welcome in the courtyard whenever we want to seek shelter there, and Pepper's Animagus is a blue hyacinth macaw," he said. "It's about as big as an eagle, and she's made good use of the parrot's ability to speak."

"Tasteless curses, I would imagine," Tom said.

Harry grinned and looked over at the box. "You wouldn't happen to have a knife handy, would you?" he asked.

Tom silently summoned a knife from the kitchen and handed it to Harry.

Without hesitating, Harry used the knife to slice the top of the box open. As soon as the top was cut, the sides collapsed and disintegrated to reveal at least two dozen bottles of Grey Goose vodka. Harry whistled lowly, unable to keep the grin off his face. "Pepper's trying to kill me," he said happily.

Tom walked up and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist. He rested his chin on Harry's head. "I would assume this is a good gift," he said coolly.

"We cannot all live off of expensive red wine, now can we?" Harry asked, shifting a bit to look up at the man. "I might even share some of these with you, if you ask nicely."

Tom arched an eyebrow at Harry but said nothing.

"Where will I keep them?" Harry asked.

Tom sighed slightly. "As long as you do not go through this supply too quickly, it can be kept in the kitchen," he said.

Harry laughed and turned around in Tom's arms. "This will probably last until I'm 50 years old," he said. "Unless you decide to help me go through this stock, of course," he added. "We could have some fun, you know," he said, smirking. "A few bottles of Goose, a private room, maybe a game of truth or dare, and we could have some fun."

Tom returned the smirk. "I think it would be best if we were to see how much you enjoy sex with just the two of us before you think about adding alcohol to the mix," he said. He leaned down to kiss Harry, but stopped just before their lips touched. "Would you care to hear about the ritual?" he asked.

Harry stared at the man's lips with lidded eyes. "And then may I open my present?" he asked, licking his lips and meeting Tom's eyes.

The Dark Lord smirked. "We'll see," he said, not moving. "Where would you like to have this conversation?" he asked.

"In your bedroom?" Harry suggested.

"My office it is," Tom said with a smirk. That said, he stepped back from Harry and led the younger man toward his office.

Harry scowled, but was quick to follow the Dark Lord. "You've got a knack for acting like a walking cold shower, you know?" he groused as Tom opened the door for his office.

"I prefer to think of it as building the anticipation, rather," Tom said as he wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulder and tugged lightly on a loose lock of his hair. "Make yourself comfortable."

Harry grinned and did so - in Tom's chair. He ignored the irritated twitch of Tom's eyebrow as the older man bodily picked him up and moved him so that he was sitting in the chair and Harry was sitting on the edge of the desk in front of him.

"So," Harry said, moving to sit in the chair and straddle Tom's lap. "The ritual."

"As you so astutely gathered," Tom said. "It does involve the mermaid."

"Please don't tell me it has to happen under a full moon," Harry said.

Tom laughed quietly. "A new moon, actually," he said quietly. "The entire thing can be performed within the safety and privacy of the sunroom, as long as the roof is enchanted with the same spell as the window. The mermaid will be brought into the room, alive, and it will stay in the pond for about an hour before we come in."

"Why?"

"Fresh water will weaken the fish without effecting the ritual," Tom said. "And once it has been sufficiently weakened, we will gut it and eat it's heart."

"It's heart?" Harry echoed disbelievingly.

Tom nodded. "It's going to be about twenty pounds, and it will not taste pleasant," he said. "But the heart in its entirety must be devoured. Once that has been completed, we will each eat one of it's eyes, and then the corpse will be set on fire."

"So, we're eating the raw heart and eyes of a giant fish, setting the thing on fire, and then we're immortal?" Harry asked.

"Essentially," Tom said. "There will be an adjustment period in which our bodies will reconfigure themselves so that they will not decay, but about twenty four hours after the ritual is completed, we'll be immortal."

Harry leaned back a bit. "You're not making this sound all that appetizing, you know."

"It isn't meant to be appetizing," Tom said. "And during the adjustment period, we will experience excruciating pain. Such is the punishment for daring to claim the reward."

"But our bodies won't decay."

"That does not mean that either of us are going to be invincible," Tom said. "We must actively work to keep ourselves in shape, just as we would were we not immortal."

Harry nodded, but said nothing for a moment. When he did speak, it was with a small, embarrassed smile. "This is going to sound awkward," he said. "But I'm hungry."

Tom offered Harry a genuine smile and kissed the younger man. "Would you care for seafood?" he asked with a knowing look in his eyes. "Or would you rather eat something more land-based?" he asked.

"Beef, maybe," Harry said absently, thinking about it.

"Have you ever had fondue?" Tom asked as he motioned for Harry to get to his feet. The younger man shook his head, and Tom nodded decisively. "We'll have that, then, and you will enjoy it," he said.

As the two of them walked out of the room, Tom looked down at Harry. "I do have a birthday gift to give you," he said quietly. "Though it will wait until before you leave to take your exams next week," he added.

Harry flushed slightly red. "You didn't have to, you know," he said.

Tom was silent for a few seconds. "No, I didn't," he said coolly.

Harry paused, not sure what the man meant by that. He thought about it for a moment longer, and when the unspoken meaning sank in, he flushed a brighter red but said nothing.


	21. Testing

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: Oh yeah, hey, by the way, the end of this chapter has some crazy gory parts that will continue into the next few chapters, so consider this my official warning of such.

...

Chapter 21: Testing

...

Mixie popped into the training room just as Harry ducked a particularly vicious biting hex from Tom. She scampered to the corner of the room and waited until the two wizards stopped their dueling.

Nearly ten minutes later, after Harry found himself on the wrong end of a cutting curse, Tom looked over at the house elf. "What is it?" he asked as he walked over to Harry.

"Master's guest is being asking if he could be told when it is being an hour before he is being needing to leave to be taking his final exams," Mixie said, staring with wide eyes at the rather impressive gash on Harry's right forearm. "It is being that time right now."

Harry nodded his thanks to the house elf, wincing when Tom took hold of his wrist. "What is your fascination with the idea of sharp - Ow! That fucking hurts," he snapped when Tom tightened his hold on his wrist and pulled Harry's arm toward him.

"If you'd have focused on keeping your personal shield erected long enough, you could have avoided this cut," Tom said lightly. "Have you considered starting using a wand?" he asked. "It may help you focus your magic a bit more."

Harry scowled. "I prefer the flexibility and control of wandless magic," he muttered. "Are you going to heal me or am I going to have to do it myself?" he asked.

Tom smirked. He pressed a kiss to Harry's knuckles before murmuring a healing spell that quickly knitted Harry's skin back together, leaving only a thin, light scar in its place. "You are dangerously close to overstepping your bounds with me, brat," he said. "And next time, I expect you to maintain your shield," he added, standing and helping Harry to his feet.

"I've got to leave in an hour," Harry said.

"So the house elf said," Tom said as he ran his fingers over the length of the scar. "You are far too easily scarred," he said, frowning slightly.

Harry shrugged. "It'll fade in about three hours, if it's like the other scars that I've had in the past," he said. "And besides, you strike me as the type to enjoy marking what he considers to be his. I'm going to take a shower before I leave," he said.

"I did mark you," Tom said, wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulder and motioning vaguely at Harry's forehead. He ignored the way the younger man absently reached up to touch his scar while he escorted Harry out of the room. "Will you be eating before you leave?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "I'm going to stay in the Alley and get something there," he said. "There are about half a dozen people in both the Diagon and Knockturn Alleys that were customers of Serpicos, and I'm going to see if they've heard anything about Cain."

"You still haven't heard from him?"

"Not since he left for Australia to meet up with Irwin," Harry said. "And something's wrong, because he would have sent me a Howler every hour after he found out that I told Tobias to destroy the shop." He frowned. "If he and Irwin haven't secluded themselves in some romantic corner of Australia, and he doesn't know that Serpicos is now just a brick, then something is wrong. I don't want to think that he's dead, but if he stays gone for too long ..." he trailed off, staring at the ground. "He kept telling me that a day like this might happen, but I never really believed him before, you know?" he asked quietly.

Tom frowned again and said nothing for a moment. "If you haven't learned anything when you return, I'll look into the issue myself," he said. "It isn't like him to just take off without leaving word where he's going."

Harry nodded and stopped at the bottom of the staircase. "Thank you," he said.

Tom merely nodded. "I wish you well on your exams," he said.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"I am meeting with an emissary from the vampires," Tom said. "They wasted no time sending a middleman of sorts when Lucius informed them that I was willing to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement."

Harry grinned suddenly. "Good luck with them," he said before walking up the stairs.

...

Twenty minutes later, Harry came back downstairs, having freshly showered. He was dressed in black jeans and a green t-shirt, but his hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and there was a dark grey beanie pulled over his head so that it fully covered his scar.

Tom caught him on his way out. "It's nearly eighty degrees outside, pet," he said quietly. "You're going to stand out with that hat."

Harry grinned. "There's a mild Cooling Charm weaved into the fabric of this hat," he said. "Keeping me sufficiently cooled down while at the same time keeping my wonderful little scar completely hidden. Do you think I've got enough time to stop by Gringotts before the exams?" he asked.

Tom cast a quick _Tempus_. "You should, as long as you leave for the Alley within the next few minutes," he said.

Harry nodded, a sly smirk coming over his face. "Do I get a good luck kiss?" he asked.

Tom took a step forward and leaned down. He pressed a kiss to Harry's forehead. At Harry's pout, he smirked. "I assure you, you will enjoy your congratulatory kiss when you return," he said. "Before you leave, though, I do have your birthday gift to give you," he added. "Come with me to my office. You can use the Floo system from there to leave."

"Lead the way, then," Harry said. "I do so enjoy getting presents."

Tom said nothing, but led the way to his office.

Once the two of them were inside, Tom pulled something out of the top drawer of his desk and handed it to Harry.

Harry looked it over. It was a black leather armband with something etched onto the front of it, but Harry couldn't quite tell - at first glance, it looked to be nothing more than a blur. "Thank you," he said quietly, flipping the band over in his hand to look at the back of it.

Tom smirked. "I very much doubt that you would allow me to brand your forearm with the Dark Mark," he said.

Harry scowled and looked up at Tom. "Yeah," he said. "I'd much rather that not happen. Ever."

"As unsurprising as it is to hear that," Tom said. "That band serves as something of a substitute to my Mark."

"What's the picture on the front of the band?" Harry asked.

Tom smirked. He took a seat on the edge of his desk. "_Pet_," he said quietly, and he ignored the mildly irritated look on Harry's face. "Look at the front of the band."

Harry did so, and his eyes widened. A dark silver etching of a snake, which looked remarkably like Aviva, had appeared on the front of the armband.

The two of them watched silently as the snake settled into coils and appeared to go to sleep.

Tom stood up and helped Harry fasten the armband to his right elbow. Once it was sufficiently fastened, the thin leather cords braided around the bottom of the band and they seemed to almost fuse together with the band after a moment.

"It's brilliant," Harry said. "But why do I get the feeling that you planned on this acting as some sort of collar?" he asked.

Tom hummed quietly but didn't say anything for a moment. "If you are in danger, just drop some of your blood onto the snake, and it will allow me to track you," he said. "And if you need to make it seem less conspicuous, then repeat the same word in Parseltongue," he added.

"You can't change that word, can you, _Pet_?" he asked, and the serpent faded back to blend in with the color of the leather armband.

Tom smirked. "_Keep in mind that I am not the one wearing the collar right now_," he said, laughing quietly at the growl Harry sent in his direction. "You're going to run out of time if you wait here any longer," he said.

"Thank you for the gift," Harry said. "But I will get you back for the collar."

Tom reached out and grabbed Harry's ponytail. He pulled it back so that Harry's neck was exposed to him, and he smirked when the younger man didn't resist. Instead, he calmly watched the Dark Lord's every move, waiting to see what the man was going to do next. "You would make quite the picture, pet, tied up and collared," Tom said. He leaned forward a bit. "And depending on what your Animagus is, I could keep you on a collar and leash."

Harry laughed quietly before grabbing Tom's shirt and pulling the man closer, ignoring the way the grip on his hair tightened a bit. "Don't count on that," he said before kissing the Dark Lord chastely on the lips.

"I'll see you once you've finished with your tests," Tom said, releasing his hold on the younger man's hair. "The Floo powder is in the green vase on the mantle. Do you know how to Apparate?" he asked.

Harry nodded.

"Good. Use that method for your return," Tom said. "And be back before midnight, pet," he said.

Harry nodded again, once again kissing Tom before heading to the fireplace. He grabbed a small handful of Floo powder and Flooed to Diagon Alley.

He managed to make it out of the Leaky Cauldron and through the rest of Diagon Alley without garnering too much attention, but as soon as he stepped inside Gringotts, Harry was greeted by a severe looking goblin.

"Mister Potter," the goblin said, loud enough to catch his attention but quiet enough that the name wouldn't attract unwanted attention.

Harry started - he hadn't expected to be identified, especially by someone who had never met him before. "Yes," he said hesitantly, hoping that no one was trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. "I was told that I should come in here and claim my inheritance, since I've reached the age of maturity," he said.

"We know. We've been expecting you," the goblin said.

Harry paused. "Really?" he asked.

The goblin nodded. "My name is Griphook," he said. "Come with me."

"Where?"

"Matters of inheritance are handled in a private room," he said, heading toward a dark brown door near the back of the room.

"This isn't going to take too long, is it?" Harry asked. "I don't want to seem rude or anything, but I'm scheduled to take my final exams in about half an hour."

Griphook looked up at him. "Your family will was in order when your parents died, so it shouldn't take more than twenty minutes," he said.

...

The room was sparsely decorated - just a small oak desk and an equally small chair behind it, both of them clearly manufactured for the goblin, and a larger armchair on the opposite side of the desk. There was a large stack of paper on the desk.

"Take a seat, Mister Potter," Griphook said.

Harry did so, shifting a bit. "Lucius Malfoy told me that there are seats in both the Wizengamot and on the Hogwarts board of education that belong to the Potter family," he said as the goblin started looking through the stack of paper.

"It is not often that we get such a young friend of the Minister," Griphook said without looking up from the papers. "Since those seats have been empty for so long, it will take some time to get the proper paperwork in order. A week, perhaps," he said. "And your situation is particularly unusual."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because normally, the person who held the seat prior to you would give you an appropriate education as to how to behave when holding those seats," he said, plucking a small file from the middle of the stack. "Since your parents are deceased, it would be a good idea for you to seek out the assistance of someone holding similar positions," he added. "Perhaps your friend, the Minister, would be willing. This is your parent's will." He opened it up and pulled out the top page for Harry to read.

It took him less than a minute for him to read over the page, but he had to read it over three more times before it all sank in.

Four vaults in Gringotts and two more vaults in a bank in Austria, all of them filled with millions of Galleons. There was an additional vault, inside it an inventory of over a hundred Potter family heirlooms, some of them spanning back to the early Renaissance era. Eight properties over the globe, including the Potter Manor in Lincolnshire county and a private island about eighty miles northeast of Brisbane, Australia.

"Holy Mother of Merlin," Harry said. "This makes me -"

"The third wealthiest man in England, yes. Behind Lucius Malfoy and the patriarch of the Black family, who has requested to remain anonymous," Griphook said. "All we need to do to make this official is put three drops of your blood on this paper," he said, summoning a large needle from thin air. "A warning, though, that if you are not who you say you are, the paper will turn black and you will be taken up on charges of misrepresentation."

Harry hesitated a moment before replacing the paper on the desk in front of him and offering Griphook his right hand. "I am who you told me I was," he said.

The goblin grinned wickedly, taking hold of Harry's hand. He pricked the needle into the pulse point on Harry's wrist. Three drops of blood dropped onto the paper before the wound sealed itself. As soon as the blood dried a few seconds later and nothing happened, he tucked the paper back into his file with a pleased nod. "Come with me."

"Where to?" he asked.

"With those three drops of blood, you have been named as the head of the Potter family," he said. "It is customary for the heads of family to wear the family rings, and it is not uncommon for you to give a ring to your intended. The rings are currently being kept in your main family vault."

Harry nodded, quickly standing and following the goblin. "Thank you," he said.

Griphook nodded curtly but said nothing as he led Harry into the back room, where they both got onto a small cart. As soon as the two of them were seated, the cart headed down a trail at a nearly breakneck speed.

They traveled over a number of tracks - including a number of sharp turns and more than a few sudden drops - for just over five minutes before coming to a stop in front of a large vault door.

Harry was the first one out of the cart, and he bent over a bit, putting his hands on his knees in an attempt to catch his breath and quell the nausea. "There wouldn't happen to be a different way up, would there?" he asked.

"The cart is the only way," Griphook said, sounding oddly cheerful as he handed Harry a small gold key.

He took it and opened the vault. As the door creaked open, Harry found himself overwhelmed with the sheer mass of coins stacked throughout the vault. He looked around for a few minutes before finding a small black box resting on a table near the left wall. He quickly opened it to find seven rings. "How do I know which one?" he asked.

"You were raised outside of this society, I gather?" Griphook asked. "And it will be the one placed in the center slot."

Harry nodded. "I was raised in a courtyard that's kept isolated," he said as he picked up the centermost ring. It was a dark silver ring, with ornately designed black celtic knots on the band. A dark green emerald was anchored in the center, and it was framed with two small onyx stones. "It's fantastic," he said quietly.

"Wear it on the middle finger of your right hand," Griphook said.

"And if I am a consort?" he asked, hesitating slightly before the word 'consort'.

"The ring to the left of the center," Griphook said, staring oddly at Harry for a moment. "It's black, and there's a small emerald embedded in the center of the ring. Make sure to keep it secure," he said.

Harry nodded. "I'm not going to take that one today, but I will come back when I'm not so pressed for time," he said. He moved to slide the patriarch ring onto his finger, but Griphook held up a hand. "What?" he asked.

"Once you put that ring on your finger, it cannot be removed until your death," the goblin said.

Harry looked at the ring and nodded once. "I can handle that."

The goblin grinned wickedly but said nothing else as Harry slid the ring onto his finger.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, looking back at Griphook.

The goblin nodded and left the vault.

As soon as Harry closed the vault, he offered Griphook the key. "Would it be possible for you to keep the key?" he asked.

Griphook paused. "If you choose to store the key here, all your future transactions must be verified with your blood," he said.

Harry nodded. "That'll be fine," he said.

The goblin said nothing as he took the key from Harry and got back into the cart.

The ride back was as fast and as nauseating as the ride to the vault. When Harry got out of the cart and didn't feel too much like vomiting, he looked over at Griphook. "Does that ride ever get any easier?" he asked.

The goblin merely grinned wickedly at him. "You're going to be late for your final exams if you stay here too much longer," he said. "Have a nice day, Mister Potter."

Harry nodded. "Thank you for your help," he said before walking out of the bank and back toward the Leaky Cauldron.

Despite being nearly ten minutes early for his exams, Harry headed up to room 214 of the Leaky Cauldron. When he made it to the room, though, he was surprised to find a man sitting on a couch. The room had been converted from a typical hotel room to something more befitting a room for someone to take an exam in - the bed was gone, and it was replaced with a large desk and an armchair. The man - who Harry assumed was Gregory Oliver - was sitting on the couch, looking over a notebook that Harry assumed contained his exams.

"You're early, Mister Potter," the man said, not looking up from the notebook.

"I know," Harry said quietly. "Is that going to be a problem?" he asked.

The man shook his head and stood up, giving Harry a chance to look the man over. He was short, almost comically so, with dark brown hair and thick glasses that had Harry immediately associating the man with the image of an owl. "No," he said. "We can start a few minutes early. Have you been told how this process is done?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah," he said.

"Good," he said, motioning over at the desk. "Have a seat and we'll get started."

...

Three and a half hours later, a small chime echoed through the room. Gregory looked up from his book and cleared his throat. "Your time is up, Mister Potter," he said.

Harry nodded and set his quill down.

"How do you feel?" Gregory asked as he picked up the notebook.

"Honestly?" Harry asked. "Hungry," he said. "I doubt Tobias made it easy for you when he originally contacted you to proctor these exams, but thank you for doing this," he said, standing up and stretching a bit.

Gregory nodded curtly. "These will be graded within the next three days," he said. "Would you like me to mail your scores to you?" he asked.

"If you could just send them to my account in Gringotts, that would be best. I'll pick them up as soon as I can, and you can make sure that you're somewhere that Tobias can't get to you," he said.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Tobias didn't threaten you when he first contacted you?" he asked.

Gregory said nothing, though he did shift uncomfortably.

"That's what I thought," Harry said. "Thank you for agreeing to do this, again."

"You're not worried about the fact that this demon has threatened to kill me?" Gregory asked, sounding incredibly frustrated.

"I've known about his tendencies for years, and it hasn't surprised me since I was seven years old," he said. "I'll wish you luck, but nothing more than that." The older man just stared at him in blatant disbelief, but when he said nothing more, Harry walked out of the room and quickly made his way out of the Leaky Cauldron.

...

The couple who lived above a small cafe, who'd bought a burmese python from Cain a few years ago, hadn't seen or heard from the man in over six months, and that sparked Harry's concern. He knew that his guardian shared a mutual affection for Irwin, and this wouldn't be the first time that he and the Australian man had decided to take something of a romantic getaway together.

He made his way toward Knockturn Alley, unable to shake the sudden feeling that he was being watched. The closer he got to the Alley, though, the more that feeling increased.

Harry was just about to step into the Alley when someone grabbed him by the upper arm, stopping him from going any further. He glared at the offending hand before looking to see who that hand belonged to. "Well, Severus, this is certainly a surprise," he said coldly, glaring at the man in question. "Let go of me."

The Potions Master scowled. "You're going to get yourself killed, Potter," he snapped. "When the Dark Lord tires of you, he will kill you."

"And yet, here I am, walking about Diagon Alley without a leash on me," Harry said. "Now, release me."

"You're mad," Severus said coldly. "There's no other explanation."

Harry smirked and took a step closer to the older man. "There is at least one that I can think of," he said, his voice little more than a cruel purr.

It took Severus only a moment before his hold tightened on Harry's arm and his eyes widened. "No," he said in a horrified whisper. "He's broken you."

Harry shrugged a bit, glaring pointedly at the hand on his arm. "Either that or I've submitted to him willingly," he said. "Now, are you going to make me tell you a third time to get your hand the fuck off of me, or am I going to have to remove your hand myself?" he asked.

Severus shook his head. "You need help."

"What I need - "

"No," he said coldly. "You need help, and I'm going to get it for you," he said.

Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously but he said nothing.

Severus smirked, an unsettling glint lighting up in his eyes, and without a word, he Apparated both Harry and himself out of the Alley.

They reappeared seconds later in the front hall of a house, and Harry immediately started struggling against the Potions Master's hold, only to have the man snap a spell that had Harry's wrists bound behind his back with a thick leather cord. He yanked the beanie off of Harry's head and tossed it to the ground, ignoring the glare that Harry leveled on him for doing so.

"You're going to cooperate, because we're only going to do what's best for you," Severus snapped as he pulled Harry further into the house.

They made it into a sitting room before anyone payed too much attention to them. As soon as Severus shoved Harry into a stiff armchair by the door, though, the occupants of the room all started staring at the younger man. One of the numerous redheads in the room - a lanky beanpole of a boy about Harry's age - walked over to Harry, gaping at him. When he got close enough to reach out and touch the lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead, though, Harry lunged forward and sank his teeth into the boy's forearm. He felt an oddly feral sense of satisfaction when the coppery tang of blood filled his mouth and he heard the boy's bone crack, and the panicked shrieks that the boy was letting out only caused him to clamp his jaws down tighter.

The sounds of the boy's screams drew everyone closer, still staring at him with an odd air of tentative fascination and horror.

Severus grabbed a handful of Harry's hair and jerked it back painfully, forcing Harry to release his hold on the boy's arm.

Harry glared up at the older man and spat out the chunk of the redhead's forearm that had dislodged in his mouth.

It hit Severus in the face, and that had the man shoving a rudimentary gag into Harry's mouth. He looked dispassionately over at the wounded redhead, who was holding his arm out in front of him and screaming in agony. "Cease your whining, Mister Weasley, and go find the Headmaster," he snapped, causing everyone else in the room to take a step back. "He will heal your wound, and then you will inform him that we have a new guest who is in need of our assistance."

The redhead glared at Severus for a moment, clutching his wounded forearm to his chest.

"The longer you dawdle, the more likely it is that you will bleed to death," Severus snapped, and that had the redhead sprinting out of the room in search of the Headmaster. Severus looked back down at Harry, who was still glaring at him. "Pull any more tricks like that, Mister Potter," he snapped, "and I will take the pleasure of removing each and every one of your teeth. Individually."

Harry just bared his teeth at the Potions Master - a gesture that was made much less effective by the gag in his mouth - and hissed ferally at the older man, whose only response was to once again jerk Harry's hair back, exposing his throat to the other inhabitants of the room.


	22. Influences of the Wrong Kind

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: Umm, yeah. Severe Light-bashing contained herein. (With maybe three exceptions, Weasleys me no likey. Or Dumbledore, for the most part.)

Oh, by the way, to the anonymous reader who told me that I needed a "daddy," and then went on to _badly_ describe some sort of something that I can only assume was supposed to be an audition to be "daddy." That was by far the most entertaining thing that I read all day, and had you had enough intestinal fortitude to leave your name, I would have gladly linked to the Linked on Phonics website, or some other source that will teach you how to spell. Proper "daddies" have proper spelling and grammar. Thank you. That is all.

...

By the way, this chapter has been retouched a bit.

...

Chapter 22: Influences of the Wrong Kind

...

Less than a minute later, the redhead walked back into the sitting room, with Albus Dumbledore only half a step behind him.

"Severus," Albus said, sounding almost jovial. "Young Mister Weasley has informed me that you brought home a human cobra."

"Not quite," Severus snapped as he jerked Harry to his feet and made sure that Harry was clearly in Albus' view. "The Boy-Who-Lived has, unfortunately, fallen victim to the wrong sort of influences," he added.

Harry growled low in his throat as Albus walked forward and started inspecting Harry.

"That is a mixed blessing, Severus, my boy," he said, finally smiling.

Severus nodded. "So it would seem," he said.

Albus looked over Harry's shoulder at the other inhabitants of the room. "Molly," he said, and a short, plump redhead walked up to him. "I do apologize for the sudden intrusion, and the attack on your son, but this is an unexpected situation," he said, motioning at Harry.

The woman - Molly, apparently - looked over at the younger man. "He has been influenced by the wrong sort? Are you sure that he's really the Boy-Who-Lived?" she asked, and Albus nodded. "That is a shame. You are going to fix this, aren't you?" she asked.

Harry growled and pulled against Severus' hold on him, intent on harming the older woman in some way that would draw blood. The Potions Master smirked cruelly at him, though, and shoved Harry onto the floor in front of him. Harry growled at him, and Severus' smirk merely grew crueler. "And here I was under the assumption that you rather enjoyed being on your knees," he said.

Harry spat out the gag onto the man's feet. "I enjoy being on my knees when it involves putting something male and phallic in my mouth. As you have nothing even remotely phallic to offer me, I'd much rather sink my teeth into your jugular," he growled.

Albus made an odd noise in the back of his throat and looked over at Severus. "Perhaps our guest would be more willing to cooperate if he was introduced to the right sort of people," he said. "Do not force him into such a subservient position, Severus. He must do so willingly if he is to fight with us," he said, once again sounding almost cheerful.

"Fuck you, old man," Harry snapped. "That's not going to happen."

Severus frowned but said nothing for a moment. Finally, he pulled Harry to a more upright position by his hair and shoved a new gag into Harry's mouth, this time making sure that the younger man wouldn't be able to spit it out. He turned Harry around so that he could see the other inhabitants of the room.

"The boy you so rudely accosted is Ronald Weasley," Albus said, motioning over at the redhead, who was clutching his healed arm to his chest and glaring at Harry. "He is about six months younger than you are, and his younger sister - you can come here, Miss Weasley. He will not hurt you," Albus said, motioning for a redheaded girl to come forward. "This is Miss Ginerva Weasley, though I believe she prefers to go by the name Ginny."

She did so, staring at Harry in a way that completely unnerved him. "It's a pleasure to meet the Boy-Who-Lived, even if the current situations are less than desirable," she said in an overly saccharine voice. She curtsied to him, a bright blush on her face. "I do so look forward to getting to know you better."

Albus chuckled a bit, but made no comment on her statement. "The twins in the back of the room are Fred and George, along with a few Aurors who you need not concern yourself with," he said. "And of course, there's Miss Granger, who's sitting in the back of the room, reading a book."

Harry looked to the back of the room, watching the young woman called Miss Granger for a moment before looking back over to glare at Albus.

"Well, Severus, my boy," Albus said, looking over at the Potions Master. "Perhaps it is best that we relocate the young Mister Potter into a more appropriate room," he suggested.

Severus jerked on Harry's hair again and said nothing. Instead, he nodded curtly. "Try not to struggle too much, boy," he snapped. "Otherwise you will force me into making sure that you can do nothing but cooperate."

Harry growled, though it was muffled quite a bit by the gag.

Severus smirked and jerked on Harry's hair again as he followed Albus up a flight of stairs and into a small, nearly empty room. The paint was peeling off the walls, and there were a number of moldy stains on the hardwood floor of the room. There were no windows, and the only piece of furniture in the room was a wooden chair.

Harry was shoved into the stiff chair, and Severus kept a tight hold on his hair and neck while Albus spoke the enchantments that kept Harry restrained to the chair. His legs, from the knee down, were tied to the two front legs of the chair, and his forearms and wrists were bound to the arms of the chair. Once the two older men thought Harry was restrained well enough, they took a few steps back from the chair.

"I would like to have allowed you relatively free reign while you were getting your re-education, but your behavior toward Ronald Weasley has proven otherwise," Albus said in a manner that Harry supposed should be patronizing. To him, though, the man's tone of voice just served to irritate him further. "I will have someone return when it is time for you to eat dinner," he said. "And the better you behave yourself, the more freedom you will earn."

Harry said nothing. He just continued glaring stonily at the two older men, waiting for them to leave.

Albus frowned a bit but left the room.

Severus, though, took a step forward and leaned down so that his mouth was about level with Harry's ear. "Since you are not the type to cooperate easily with someone like me," he said. "I have taken the liberty of adding an extra ... charm ... to your restraints. If you attempt to struggle, you will be given an electric shock. With each attempt to escape, the intensity of those shocks will increase." He leaned back a bit. "Personally, I'm hoping that you've done all the hard work for us by the time dinner rolls around, and I'll find you dead in the chair when I return."

With an overly-satisfied smirk, the Potions Master sauntered to the door. He stopped just inside the threshold of the room and turned back to look at Harry. "You'll find that your magic has been ... compartmentalized ... while you're in this house," he said, smiling at the muffled curses that Harry sent his way. Without any warning, he sent a Stunning spell at the younger man, rendering him unconscious almost immediately.

...

Harry didn't know what time it was when he came to, but one of the first things he noticed was the sound of someone humming badly off tune and rustling about the room in front of him. The next thing he realized was that he was blindfolded with a semi-sheer black handkerchief and that the gag had been removed from his mouth. He shifted a bit, making sure not to struggle too much, though - he wasn't planning on suffering from electrical shocks at the moment.

"Oh good," a high-pitched female voice said, and the distinct sound of stiletto heels on hardwood caught his attention. The woman was approaching him. "You're awake. How are you feeling?" she asked, and Harry thought he recognized the voice, though only barely.

"I'm tied up and restrained to a fucking chair," Harry snarled, not lifting his head up. "How the fuck do you think I'm feeling?"

The woman hummed irritably. "There's no need for the profanity," she said quietly. "Now, Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore told me that I was allowed to feed you dinner, and my mother helped me with this. It's the first time that I've ever cooked something on my own," she said. "If I take the blindfold off, will you promise not to hurt me?"

Harry bared his teeth and growled ferally in the general direction of the woman. He felt his teeth sharpen a bit and an odd tingling sensation in his tailbone, and he forced himself to calm down a bit. There was no use revealing his Animagus form when it would only prove to be a disadvantage at this point. Though, the mere thought of stalking after the Potions Master and sinking his teeth into Severus' throat was almost too much to resist.

"Do you promise not to hurt me if I take the blindfold off?" the woman asked again.

Harry scowled and remained silent.

"If you do not eat now, Professor Snape said he'd make sure that you starved to death," she said. "Please, do not hurt me. I don't want you to starve."

"You don't even know me," Harry snapped.

The woman pulled the blindfold off of Harry's face and smiled overly sweetly at him. "But I want to get to know you. Please?" she asked.

Harry stayed silent for a long moment before sighing slightly. He nodded, but said nothing.

The young woman, who Harry finally recognized as Ginerva Weasley, smiled widely and pulled up a chair to sit in front of Harry. "Wonderful," she said, pulling a tray table next to her chair. "Now, I made you a salad. Professor Snape said that you didn't get enough vegetables in your diet."

"There's a reason for that," Harry growled quietly, though his stomach growled a bit when he noticed the bits of chicken in the salad. "What's your end game?" he asked.

Ginerva frowned as she gathered a small bit of the salad onto a fork. "Who's to say that I have an end game?" she asked. "Is it so unbelievable that I'd want to help out a handsome man like you?" she asked, looking pointedly at the Potter family ring on Harry's left middle finger before offering Harry a clearly fake smile.

Harry caught that look and he narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing. "Untie me," he said.

"Why? Do you not want me to feed you?" she asked.

"I am not an invalid," Harry snapped, felling an odd sense of satisfaction when she flinched away from him. "I will feed myself."

Ginerva dropped the fork back into the plate and wiped a few unshed tears out of her eyes before looking back up at Harry. "Ronald told me that you'd be as cruel to me as you were to him," she said, her voice quivering a bit.

"The idiot that I bit?" Harry asked with a slight smirk. "He's your brother, then, Ginerva?" he asked.

She flushed red. "Most people call me Ginny, actually."

"Well," Harry said. "Isn't that just pleasantly trite?" he asked with a cruel smirk.

The young woman bit back a whimper and glared at him. "My mother said that you were going to be kind to me because I could make it so that you were untied," she said, once again wiping at her eyes. This time, though, she stood up and pressed her wand to the tray table, quietly murmuring a spell that vanished it.

Harry adopted a lazy smirk and leaned back a bit in the chair, forcing himself to relax a bit. "Really?" he asked, glancing down at his Potter family ring. "And how did you plan on doing that?" he asked, forcing himself to sound friendly enough as he returned his gaze to the redhead in front of him.

Ginny stared at the ring, and after a brief moment, a greedy glint lit up in her eyes. "My mother has always told me that I was the only woman good enough for the Boy-Who-Lived," she said in a voice far too saccharine for Harry's comfort. "If you agree to align yourself with us, and with Professor Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix, you could marry me and we could be the most beautiful couple in the world," she said, taking a few steps toward Harry, so that she was standing just in front of him. "And I would be rich," she murmured, leaning her head down a bit and staring at Harry's lips.

Harry's eyes narrowed, but he hummed a bit and watched Ginny coolly.

Had she been paying attention, she would have noticed the calculating look in his eyes, but she instead grabbed Harry's face with her hands and shoved her lips on top of his.

Harry remained completely passive, waiting for the chance to gain the upper hand over the redhead.

Before that chance presented itself, though, the door slammed open to reveal Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore, and neither of them looked particularly happy.

The Potions Master stormed into the room and jerked Ginny away from Harry, glaring at the young woman. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he snarled. "You were told that you could offer him food, not that you could make yourself vulnerable to him, you stupid girl!" he all but yelled.

Harry laughed quietly, successfully gaining the attention of the other three people in the room. He glanced over at Ginny, who was staring at him in outright shock. "Despite the fact that the phrase is nearly enough to have me vomiting, I suppose I ought to thank you, Severus," Harry drawled lazily, looking over at the man.

The Potions Master arched an eyebrow at Harry. "And why is that, Potter?" he asked.

"It is such a shame when a supposed innocent young woman does her best to use what pathetic assets she has been cursed with to attempt to sway people to one side of the war," Harry said. "I might be inclined to file a complaint of sexual assault, if I weren't more apt to just kill her and solve the problem entirely."

Severus said nothing - though Harry could have sworn he saw the man bite back a smirk at the statement.

Albus' eyes narrowed dangerously, and he looked between Severus and Ginny. "Severus, my boy," he said quietly. "Escort the young Miss Weasley back to her mother," he said.

Severus nodded jerkily and left the room, Ginny following him mutely and trying to hide the fact that she was near tears.

As soon as the door shut behind the two of them, Albus turned a surprisingly harsh glare onto Harry. "This behavior is completely unacceptable from a young man in your position," he said, sitting in the armchair that Ginny had vacated only a few minutes ago.

"Am I correct in assuming that my position is something other than kidnapped and restrained to a chair against my will?" he retorted.

Albus frowned a bit and said nothing. He stared relentlessly at the younger man and Harry felt an oddly invasive feeling gently pushing at his mind. He squirmed, ignoring the mild shock he received in return, and narrowed his eyes. With a loud crack, and the light in the room extinguishing itself, the invasive feeling was gone, but one of Harry's ribs was immediately fractured.

The younger man whimpered a bit at the unexpected pain, and he glared at Albus. "What the fuck do you want?" he asked irritably as the old man repaired the light.

"You need to learn what's right and wrong with this world, and since you are much stronger than Severus, I'm going to have to try some new methods of convincing you to cooperate," Albus said. "Allow me to assure you that I would really rather not have to resort to a mental persuasion, but I very much doubt you will learn with anything less than this."

"I'm beginning to learn what's wrong with the world right now, actually," Harry said coldly. The probing at his mind was back, this time less gentle, and Harry shoved it out again, only to have another of his ribs broken.

"Be quiet, Mister Potter," he said firmly. "Now, how long did you live with the man who owned the snake shop?" he asked.

Harry smirked at the old man. "I thought you wanted me to be quiet," he snapped.

"Answer the question and watch how you address me," Albus said sharply.

"I lived in the shop for a few years," Harry said. He glanced down at his arm and noticed the leather armband still there, immediately wondering if he'd be left alone long enough to contact Tom.

"How long, exactly, is a few years?" Albus asked.

Harry shrugged as much as he could in his current restraints. "When I found out that I wasn't going to be treated like shit, I decided not to keep track of how long I stayed there and instead enjoyed the fact that I was treated with a basic sense of dignity and respect," he said. "Like, for instance, not being tied to a chair when it came to being forced into a conversation."

Albus frowned slightly. He made an odd motion with his left hand as he stood up.

The bindings on his forearms tightened painfully, leaving Harry gritting his teeth and glaring at the old man. A quick spell replaced the gag in Harry's mouth, once again preventing him from speaking.

"You clearly need to learn that I am not playing a game with you," Albus said almost amiably as Harry's head was rocked back by an unseen punch to the jaw. He rested his hand on the back of his chair and hummed, watching the younger man suffer a few more hits. Only when a cut appeared just below Harry's right eye did he straighten himself. "I will return in about an hour, and I hope that, by then, you are feeling more willing to cooperate with me," he said before Vanishing the chair and leaving the room.

...

Less than five minutes after Albus left the room, Severus walked inside, looking much worse for the wear than he had when he'd escorted Ginny out of the room. He pulled the gag out of Harry's mouth and, with a few murmured phrases, the invisible fists stopped their assault on Harry's body.

Harry watched the older man almost curiously, though a number of insults were bubbling up in the back of his mind, ready to be used should he feel threatened. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped, just as he felt his two recently broken ribs rub against each other as he shifted in his position. He bit his lip, doing his best to bite back a groan.

Judging by the oddly sympathetic look on the Potions Master's face, though, he didn't do too good a job of it.

"You will not believe me," Severus said as he walked toward Harry. "And I would not believe what I am about to tell you either, were I in your shoes."

"I'm not interested in listening to your bullshit," Harry snapped. "And as far as I'm concerned, the moment I'm loose from this fucking chair, you're a dead man. Regardless of what vow you gave to the Dark Lord."

Severus said nothing for a moment. Instead, he pulled a small vial out of a pocket in his black slacks. The bright blue liquid in the vial immediately had Harry's hackles up, and he glared at the man, ignoring the pain from his wounds. "When I was a few years younger than you, and back in school," he said, sounding incredibly reluctant as he spoke. "I was in love with your mother."

"And did she -"

"She was infatuated with James Potter, who she ended up marrying to create you. I did not exist, in her world," he said. "So I continued with my potions, and I was the youngest man in history to receive my certification as a Potions Master," he said. "Albus left the house, and he will not be back for a number of hours. He's made his curse to last until he gets back, and it will not allow you to pass out from the pain, which will get increasingly worse the longer you're subjected to the curse," he said. "It will start again when I leave the room."

"Such a shining example of a Light lord to use such a curse," Harry muttered darkly. "I didn't take you to be bipolar."

"Good of you to notice the man's rank," Severus said, smiling weakly. "And I'm not bipolar. My life revolves around my potions, and a number of years ago, I managed to concoct a potion that combines the effects of both Verisaterum and the Imperius curse," he said. "Are you aware of what the two do?"

Harry nodded, ignoring his sudden lightheadedness resulting from the movement. "Truth serum and the revoking of free will," he said quietly, thinking things over a bit. "So does that mean -"

"Albus got his hands on the potion and he's been administering it to me against my will. Once it's in my system, I am little more than a mindless puppet to Albus," Severus said. "Fortunately, it does not last long, though that may be due more to the fact that it has been administered so long that my body is building an immunity to the recipe rather than a weakness in the potion itself."

"What are you getting at?"

"I am trying to apologize for the role that I played in your kidnapping," he said before looking down at the potion in his hand. "This is a Numbing Potion. It will dull the effects of the curse on you, but only for an hour or so."

Harry watched him for a long moment, not saying anything. Finally, he spoke. "You're still loyal -"

"I have been force fed this potion since before you were born," Severus said, almost inaudibly. "And my loyalties remain where they were before this potion was introduced into my system. Open your mouth and I will give you the Numbing Potion."

Harry frowned but opened his mouth slightly, allowing the man to tilt his head back a bit and administer the potion. It had a taste oddly reminiscent of cherries, and as soon as he swallowed it, the pain of his wounds almost disappeared. He nodded his thanks and watched the man for a minute. "Why haven't you asked for his help?" he asked.

"You are the only one who I have told about the potion and what Albus is doing with it," Severus said hesitantly.

Harry scowled. "When I get back to him, I'm going to tell him, you know," he said.

"Why the hell would you do that?"

"Because you're being drugged into service, and while I don't know what that's like, I know that he's going to kill you."

"Which he are we talking about now?"

Harry's scowl deepened. "Does it matter? If the old man finds out that you're starting to resist the potion, he'll kill you. And unless someone tells the other him why you did what you did, he'll kill you slowly and painfully for your betrayal," he said. "If I tell him, he'll hopefully listen to me. You probably won't come away unscathed, but you will be alive."

"You're really that close to him?" Severus asked, and Harry shrugged a bit, not committing to an answer. "What would you have me do, then? I am quite literally stuck between death and torture before death," he said.

Harry smiled slightly. "Lay low. Don't attract too much attention from anyone," he said.

Severus paused. "I want your word that you will speak to him."

"You have my word on the Potter family name," he said, twitching his finger so that Severus would see the ring. "Now, this question is incredibly humiliating for me, but since I'm currently trussed up like a not-quite-stuck pig, I cannot get food on my own. Would you mind bringing me something to eat? Beef, if it's possible?" he asked, flushing slightly red.

Severus smirked. "My personal house elf is quite good with kabobs, and you will be able to eat those in your current predicament," he said. "I'll have her bring you some beef kabobs in about ten minutes."

Harry nodded his thanks, not saying anything.

Severus hesitated for a moment before resting his hand on Harry's shoulder. "I will make sure that you get out of here before any permanent damage is done to you," he said quietly, pulling his hand away from Harry.

"Thank you," Harry said quietly, closing his eyes. He didn't open his eyes when he heard the Potions Master quietly leave the room. Instead, he did his best to drift off to sleep, hoping that he would be prepared to deal with Albus when he came back into the room.


	23. Days Later

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's note: So yeah. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

...

This chapter has been retouched a bit.

...

Chapter 23: Days Later

...

Harry woke up with a start when he felt someone take hold of his wrist. He tried to look around for a moment before realizing that his blindfold had been replaced sometime while he was unconscious, as had the gag.

"Good. You're still alive," an unfamiliar female voice said quietly. "Professor Snape was worried that you might have died after the last session," she said as she untied the blindfold and pulled it away from his eyes. "I brought some water, but since both of your hands are broken, you'll have to drink it through a straw. I'm Hermione." She noticed the gag and cautiously took it out of his mouth.

Harry looked up at her with a barely discernible scowl. "I remember who you are and I'm not taking the water," he said coldly, though the ferocity in his voice was greatly diminished by the fact that he was severely dehydrated and had just about lost his voice.

"I swear on my magic that I've put nothing into it," Hermione said with a small smile. "Professor Snape told me to get you out of here, and there's not much time to do that."

A brief moment passed before Harry relented and took a small sip of water from the straw. It was still cold, and he couldn't taste any sort of concoctions that might have been added into the glass of water. "Where is he?" he asked in a quiet, hoarse voice before drinking the rest of the water in the cup.

Hermione set the cup down on the nearby table and turned her focus onto undoing the restraints on Harry's wrists. She didn't answer for a moment, and Harry merely assumed that she didn't know. "He's being forced to entertain the Headmaster," she said quietly after another long moment.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" he asked as Hermione managed to untie his left wrist.

Hermione just nodded, though Harry did notice a particularly foul expression on the young woman's face. "The Headmaster will be ... occupied for the next few hours, and after that, Professor Snape is going to return to his home for the next two days. He told me, before he went to see the Headmaster, that I was to get you out of here. I think he thinks that Professor Dumbledore is going to try to kill you, since you've continued to refuse to cooperate," she said.

Harry said nothing, waiting for his other arm to be released from the restraints.

"Bill, Charlie, and the twins are keeping watch in the kitchen and the sitting room to make sure that Ron, Percy, and Mr. Weasley don't suddenly reappear. They're wavering between neutral and Dark alignment in this war, by the way," she said in a barely audible voice. "Molly and Ginny are out at some sort of day spa, pampering themselves with money they don't have."

"Why aren't you with them?" Harry asked as his other wrist was untied.

Hermione slowly sat down, doing her best to ignore her swollen womb. "As Percy is ever so fond of informing me, over and over and -"

"Percy's an asshole, I got it," Harry said with a slight smirk. He tried to stretch his fingers, but he bit back a groan of pain. He did notice that the pain wasn't as bad as it had been the last time he tried that. "You lied to me," he said accusingly, glaring at her as she untied the restraints from around his legs and then looking pointedly at the glass of water.

"I didn't," she said. "I'm training to be a Healer, and I managed to dull some of the nerves in your hands when I untied them." She tried to pull his left foot off the ground.

Harry swore quietly, motioning at the large nail puncturing through his foot and into the wooden floor.

"When did he do this to you?"

"I've lost track of days, but it wasn't him," he said.

"Ginny?" Hermione asked.

Harry just growled. "Grab the nail and pull it out of the floor."

"You can't honestly think that you'll keep that thing in your foot."

Harry offered her a weak shrug. "Only until I get to a safe place. Why aren't you at the spa with the whore and her mother?" he asked.

Hermione paused. "Of course," she said quietly. "Percy has told me a number of times that the only reason I am still allowed to live here in the Burrow is because I am blessed enough to be carrying the first of the next generation of the Weasley family," she said as she yanked the nail out of the floor.

Harry growled at the pain, but slowly tested how much weight he could put on his left foot. It wasn't much. "Help me up, would you?" he asked.

She hesitated, looking down at her pregnant stomach. "I don't really know how much help I'm going to be," she said as she leaned forward so that Harry could wrap his arms around her shoulders.

Harry paused for a moment before pulling himself to his feet. When he managed to stand up, without putting any weight on his wounded foot, he was standing flush against Hermione. Well, as flush against her as he could be, what with her pregnant belly.

The young woman immediately blushed a bright red, though she didn't take a step back until she was sure that he was relatively steady on his feet. "Try not to move your hands too much," she said. "I can take you to Professor Snape's loft, and I can call a Healer from there."

"No," Harry said quietly. "I want to be on familiar ground. Is there a fireplace in this hovel that's connected to the Floo Network?" he asked.

Hermione hesitated, biting her bottom lip before nodding once. She helped Harry slowly move toward the door, and she continued to inspect Harry while they made their way out of the room. She rapped her knuckles quietly on the door.

"Were you raped?" Harry asked suddenly.

He didn't receive a verbal answer, but the slight trembling of Hermione's bottom lip and her sudden refusal to meet Harry's almost curious gaze gave him the answer.

The door opened to reveal a man about twenty five years old, with shoulder length red hair and a fang earring dangling from his left ear. His jaw nearly dropped when he noticed the state that Harry was in, and he stared disbelievingly at the younger man for a moment.

"Bill, we don't have much time," Hermione said, and that seemed to pull the man out of his momentary daze.

"Of course," he said, rubbing the five o'clock shadow along his jawline. "Are you taking the Ford Anglia or the Floo?" he asked, shutting the door shut behind the two.

"The Floo. Could we use the fireplace in your room since it's closer?" Hermione asked.

The man - Bill, apparently - nodded and carefully ushered the two of them toward a room at the end of the hall. Once they were in his room with the door locked and warded shut behind them, Bill pulled a blue jar off the mantle of his fireplace. He looked expectantly over at them, but said nothing when he noticed that Harry was close to tears as the pain started to become impossible for him to ignore any longer.

Harry looked up at Bill. "She's coming with me," he said weakly.

Hermione looked over at Harry, not bothering to hide her surprise.

Bill bared his teeth in a smile that reminded Harry oddly of Griphook's smile. "Good," he said. "Then you aren't going to Sev's loft, and I will not let you tell me where you're going," he said as he offered the jar to Hermione.

She took a large handful of Floo powder and looked up at Bill with a weak smile. "Be safe, Bill," she said.

The redhead nodded tersely before nodding at the fireplace. "Go."

She nodded and tossed the powder into the fireplace. The fire flared to life with wild green flames, and Hermione helped Harry step into it.

"_The Dark Lord's Manor_," Harry hissed as soon as he was in the fireplace. As the flames wrapped around them, he pulled his arms around Hermione's shoulders, though not tight enough to strangle her.

They re-appeared about a minute later in a small cell that was vaguely familiar to Harry. He smirked, and looked down at the leather armband. He'd woken the leather snake up after he'd woken up from his first "conversation" with Albus, but when Severus had visited him again with a few Healing Potions, he'd told Harry that the wards around the room were serving as an insulator of sorts - rendering any magic with Harry's signature useless. The tracking spell, apparently, was included in that, and it hadn't worked, so he'd sent the snake back to sleep so as not to attract too much suspicion.

"_I resent being called a pet, you know_," he hissed, once more waking the silver serpent up.

"You're a Parselmouth?" Hermione asked as she looked around the cell with a mixture of horror and curiosity.

Harry just smirked, and the door slammed open. "Stay calm and quiet for the next few minutes, would you?" he asked, and Hermione nodded fervently, staring in shock at the man approaching their cell.

"_What the bloody fuck happened to you?_" Tom hissed furiously as he wrenched the cell door open. "_I thought you were dead!_"

Harry let go of Hermione and hobbled over to Tom, feeling immediately more safe when the older man pulled him into an embrace. "_I was kidnapped,_" he admitted reluctantly, and Tom tightened his hold on Harry a bit.

Hermione cleared her throat, successfully gaining Tom's attention. She hesitated momentarily, wavering a bit under the furious red glare now focused on her. "I don't mean to interrupt, sir," she said quietly. "But Harry's hands have been broken, and he's been pretty much tortured for the past week. At least two of his ribs are fractured, so it might not be a good idea to hold him too tight. His foot's been impaled as well."

Tom's glare, if possible, grew more intense and he looked down at Harry for a moment.

"I didn't know I was gone for a week," Harry said quietly, relaxing against Tom and closing his eyes. He breathed in the comforting scent of the Dark Lord, and a small smile came over his face.

Tom smirked slightly and picked Harry up, carrying him bridal style. He looked over at Hermione, who was watching their interaction with barely disguised curiosity. His smirk disappeared, only to be replaced with a small frown. "Follow me," he said. "But keep your hands to yourself and keep your mouth shut."

"Yes, sir," she said, and was quick to follow the Dark Lord out of the room.

...

Tom laid Harry down on the top of his bed, taking note that the younger man had once again fallen unconscious. He surveyed the state that the younger man was in before he started casting a few basic healing spells on him.

"Sir, I know you told me to stay quiet," Hermione said from the doorway.

"And I abhor my orders being disobeyed," Tom said coldly. "What is it that you have to tell me?" he asked, looking over at Hermione.

"I'm training to be a Healer, but the things that happened to Harry are beyond my training. If you'd allow it, I could call the woman who's been training me. She can be trusted," she said. "Sir," she added quickly when Tom quirked an eyebrow at her.

It didn't take the Dark Lord long to make up his mind.

"Be quick about it," he said, motioning to the fireplace. "The powder is in the vase on the mantle."

Hermione immediately went to the fireplace and set about calling the Healer.

Harry's eyes flickered open and he looked down at his foot. "_Tom_?" he asked quietly, and the older man immediately looked back at him. "_Could you take the damn thing out of my foot_?" he asked, nodding to the thirteen inch iron nail still embedded in his left foot.

"_This will hurt_," he said.

Harry laughed quietly. "_Just pull it out of my bloody foot. It itches_," he said.

Tom nodded and firmly took hold of the nail. "Hold your foot still," he said quietly.

Harry nodded and once again closed his eyes.

Without any further warning, Tom yanked the nail out of the younger man's foot, seemingly unaffected by the groan of pain that Harry let out before once again lapsing into unconsciousness.

Tom glared at the nail, thinking of any number of different ways to torture, maim and kill whoever had been the one to impale Harry with it. He looked over at the fireplace when he heard someone step through it, and he was greeted with the sight of a rather attractive woman pulling her hair back into a loose bun.

She had olive skin and black hair. Brown eyes were framed by a pair of glasses, and she was wearing the burgundy and grey robes that were standard uniform for Austrian Healers. As soon as she noticed Tom watching her, though, she straightened herself and bowed a bit. "Where is the man who needs my assistance?" she asked with a light accent.

"On the bed," Hermione said quietly from her spot behind the woman.

Tom looked over at the young woman, expecting an explanation.

Hermione motioned to the Healer, who had started casting a few diagnostic spells on Harry. "This is Alice, sir," she said quietly. "She's the Healer who's been training me, and she's one of the best in continental Europe."

"I'll get answers from you later," he said. "Mixie."

The house elf popped up. "Is Master being wanting something?" she asked.

"Escort her to one of the guest rooms and keep her there," Tom said, motioning over at Hermione. "She is not to have contact anyone outside of the Manor."

Mixie nodded and walked over to Hermione. "Lady guest is to be coming with Mixie," she said, taking hold of the bottom hem of Hermione's shirt and leading her out of the room.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Tom looked back over at the bed.

Alice was scowling as she reviewed the last medical scan. She looked over at Tom, and her expression lightened, even if only slightly. "He's lucky to be alive, at this rate," she said. "Judging by the fresh bleeding in the wound in his foot, you've just pulled the nail out of his foot?" she asked.

Tom nodded.

"May I ask his name?" Alice asked.

"Harry," Tom said brusquely. "What's wrong with him?"

"Apart from the fresh wound on his foot, Harry has five broken ribs, severe dehydration and blood loss. Both of his hands have eight broken bones, and his left cheekbone is fractured. The black eye is starting to show signs of an infection, and based on the blood patterns on his shirt, it looks like he's been flogged with a belt," Alice said. "And the scratches on his neck are shallow. They're fresh, and there are flakes pink nail polish in them, but they're likely the last thing to worry about at the moment."

"How long will it take you to properly heal him?" he asked.

"The physical damage will only take about a day to heal, sir, but I cannot judge how much mental damage was caused," Alice said. "Surviving torture like this does not often allow one to recover unchanged," she said quietly, looking back down at Harry's unconscious form. "I will ask that you leave the room so that I can set about healing him, sir."

Tom scowled, not saying anything as he left the room.

...

Nearly twenty eight hours later, Alice walked out of the bedroom, wondering where she might find Tom again. Her search did not need to go far, though, as the man walked out of a nearby room, looking much like he hadn't slept while Alice had been healing Harry.

She smiled a bit at the man. "He's doing fine," she said. "The broken bones have been healed, and the scratches are gone. His upper body is wrapped in bandages, though, that will need to be changed every six hours," she said. "I was unable to heal the wounds on his chest and back, but I left a salve and some fresh bandages on the stand by the bed."

Tom nodded but didn't say anything.

"If you need anything else, sir, please, just let me know," she said.

Again, Tom nodded. "Your assistance today was greatly appreciated."

Alice merely smiled again. "Do you mind if I make use of your fireplace, sir?" she asked.

"There is powder in the vase on the mantle," Tom said quietly as he walked back into Harry's bedroom.

The younger man was awake and watching the door with a mild interest, but neither he nor Tom said anything until Alice had left the room through the fireplace. "You look like shit," Harry said with a small grin.

Tom smirked. "You don't look that much better yourself," he said as he took a seat on the bed next to Harry.

"I feel much better, though," Harry offered. He didn't move to sit up, instead choosing to pull one of Tom's hands over to him, inspecting the other man's hand.

A brief moment of silence lapsed between them.

Harry looked up at Tom, who was merely watching him expectantly. "I didn't get abducted on purpose, you know," he muttered darkly.

"I am aware of that," Tom said coolly. "I am rather interested in who was responsible for the abduction in the first place."

"You have to promise that you won't hurt him."

"I will make no such promise, and you ought to be glad that I am not going to draw blood from you for such a statement," Tom said, rapping his knuckles sharply against Harry's chest. "Names. Now."

Harry hesitated. "Severus is being drugged," he said quietly.

"Drugged?"

Harry nodded. "By Albus. Hermione and some of the Weasleys helped me out of the house, though," he said.

"And who was responsible for your torture?" Tom asked, deliberately keeping his voice calm.

"Albus," Harry admitted. "And sometimes Ron and Percy, and Ginny, but that's because she was under the impression that I was going to marry her and give her riches beyond belief," he said as he sat up on the bed, stretching a bit. He showed the ring on his middle finger to Tom. "I'm apparently Lord Potter now," he said with a smirk. "And that means that you've got to address me with the proper respect."

Tom smirked and bodily lifted Harry onto his lap, ignoring the indignant squeak the younger man let out in response. "As I recall, many of the Potter Lords were petulant, spoiled, and perpetually immature. Such behavior garners no respect, and you would do well to work to repair your family name."

"From barely more than laughingstock to something more similar to the Malfoy reputation?" Harry asked.

"I very much doubt that you will reach a level comparable to that of the Malfoy family name," Tom said as he started unbuttoning Harry's shirt to inspect the bandages underneath.

"Why not?" Harry asked, looking down at the bandages on his chest.

"Because it took that family over eight generations to establish their reputation, and each Malfoy heir was raised knowing what was going to be expected of them," Tom said. "You were not raised with such an education," he said.

Harry gingerly touched the bandages and scowled. "I didn't think it was this bad." He reached a hand up to touch the back of his neck. "The pink scratches on my neck, and the nail, those were from Ginny."

"Why?" Tom asked.

"Because I told her that I wasn't going to marry her, and then I didn't get aroused when she did some sort of vulgar little dance," Harry said.

"Severus was the one who brought you into Albus' clutches?" he asked as he pulled Harry's shirt off entirely. His expression darkened when he saw that the entirety of Harry's torso was bandaged, and despite the salve that Alice had used, bits of the bandage had already been tinged pink.

"Do not kill him," Harry said, in a shockingly firm voice.

"He betrayed me one too many times," Tom said coldly.

"He's had no choice!" Harry said loudly. "And Hermione needs to be kept here."

"You're mad."

Harry scowled. "She's suffered."

"A number of people have suffered," Tom said with a cold smirk. "This is war. Suffering happens. What makes her so special?" he asked.

Harry paused. "She helped me get back here before I was murdered," he said quietly, leaning up against Tom. "She stays here, and remains unharmed, or I find my shelter somewhere else."

Tom scowled. "You are far too dramatic, pet," he said quietly.

"You haven't already gotten rid of her, have you?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Tom shook his head. "She's got a room of her own, but she has yet to leave that room since shortly after she arrived here," he said. "Mixie," he called after a moment, and the house elf appeared seconds later. "Bring the girl up here," he said before replacing Harry's shirt and re-fastening the buttons.

"Thank you," Harry said quietly.

...

Hermione walked hesitantly into the room about five minutes later and looked around almost nervously. She smiled a bit when she noticed Harry sitting on the bed with his feet dangling over the edge, tugging absently on his hair.

"Tom?" Harry asked, not noticing that Hermione had walked into the room. "I need to cut my hair later today," he said.

"And why's that?" Tom asked from his spot on the bed behind Harry. He sat up a bit and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist.

Harry scowled and tugged more harshly on a lock of his hair. "Because the redhead twit thinks that men with long hair are fascinating, and she informed me that I was to keep it this way for the rest of my life," he said, looking up at Tom.

The older man hummed quietly but said nothing for a moment. "Do not do anything rash. We'll discuss this further once you've finished your conversation with the girl," he said, standing up.

"Thank you, Dark Lord," Harry said in a purr.

Tom leaned down and pressed a kiss to Harry's scar. "You are an impudent brat," he muttered quietly.

"And yet you still put up with me," Harry said, kissing Tom full on the lips before watching the man walk out of the room. "How are you feeling, Hermione?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'll have you know that this is all fantastically surreal," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Harry. "Are you really the Dark Lord's consort?" she asked after a long moment.

Harry coughed quietly but nodded. "I suppose you could call it that," he said, blushing slightly. "You're to stay here," he said.

"As a guest?" she asked suspiciously.

"You're going to be kept safe here," Harry said quietly. "I'm guessing that the child in your stomach was not put there with your consent," he said, hoping that he wasn't going to push her too far with this line of conversation.

"It was not," Hermione said, resting her hands on her stomach, though they twitched as though she were uncomfortable with the gesture. "And Albus took measures to make sure that the child cannot be harmed by myself or anyone else until it is born."

"Who's the father?" Harry asked, looking down at her stomach.

Hermione fell silent, looking down at the floor by her feet. "At Hogwarts, I'm a sixth year in Ravenclaw," she said. "And I've been seeing a Slytherin since the beginning of our fourth year, but Ronald was never shy about the fact that he thought I was more attractive."

"That started - "

"Just after it became general knowledge that I was in a relationship," Hermione said.

Harry nodded once. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked suddenly.

Hermione smiled a bit. "That would be nice, yeah," she said.

Harry grinned over at her and stood up, taking hold of her hand. "Let's go find the kitchen, then," he said.

...

They made it into the kitchen a few minutes later, and the three house elves in there were more than happy to set up a small table and two chairs in the corner of the room, and not long after Harry and Hermione made themselves comfortable, a small plate of fresh fruit was placed in front of Hermione, and a small steak was given to Harry. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Harry said anything.

"Who's the Slytherin that you're seeing?" he asked curiously.

Hermione smiled down at her plate. "I appreciate the kindness you've showed me, Harry, and I am willing to tell you almost whatever you want," she said. "But my place in the war has been manipulated, and as soon as I'm able to get rid of the parasite in my womb, I am going back to that place."

"But you're not going to risk whoever it is that you're seeing," Harry said quietly, and Hermione nodded. "Even though it's general knowledge in your school who this boy is?" he asked.

Hermione looked up at Harry, still smiling slightly. "I know that you're not unintelligent," she said. "So, if you really want to find that out, then it will be easy enough for you to do so, but I will not be complicit in endangering the life of someone I care very much about," she said quietly.

Harry paused and looked back down at his plate, absently poking at his steak. "Fine," he said. "But when I figure out who it is, I'll keep it to myself."

"Thank you for that," Hermione said quietly. "But I'm still not going to tell you who he is," she said with another small smile.

Harry just grinned a bit and shrugged before taking another bite of his steak.


	24. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: This chapter annoyed me. It might have something to do with the fact that I was on bronchitis meds while I was writing this, but whatever. I can't quite fix it, no matter how much I tweak it. So, enjoy.

...

Some re-tweaking has occurred in this chapter.

...

Chapter 24: Aftermath

...

As soon as Harry returned to his bedroom after walking Hermione back to her room, he found Tom waiting for him. "Don't you have anything better to do than sit around and wait for me?" he asked.

"You're thinking much too highly of yourself," Tom said as Harry approached him with a hesitant smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired and a little bit sore," Harry said.

Tom frowned a bit and pulled Harry closer to him. Once the younger man was standing between his open legs, he started unbuttoning his shirt. "You mentioned that you wanted to cut your hair?" he asked.

"You're avoiding something," Harry said, though he allowed Tom to pull his shirt off.

"My snake has been so kind as to advise me not to provoke you into an argument while you are injured, and I have taken a rather potent Calming Potion," Tom said carefully, almost as though he was struggling with what to say. "And I have made sure that anything requiring my attention has been delayed for the next few hours, leaving you as my only project until about midnight."

"I think I'm flattered," Harry said with a small smile. He looked down at the bandages wrapped around his chest. "Does it look as bad from your view as well?" he asked.

Tom smiled lazily. "Worse, actually. I'll change your bandages in a few hours," he said before tugging lightly on a loose locke of Harry's hair.

"I can't pull off Cain's whole shaved head look, but I refuse to keep my hair this length after what that trampy ginger trollop said to me," he said irritably. "You wouldn't happen to have any suggestions, would you?" he asked.

The Dark Lord said nothing for a moment before he nodded decisively. "Take a seat," he said. "One of the people I have looking for Cain managed to find him," he said. "Your guardian was seen in the company of a young man with dark green hair."

"That's Irwin," Harry said, smiling slightly. "Is he alright?"

"The two of them were well on their way to screwing on the beach, so I would assume so," Tom said. "The man who found Cain saw no reason to interrupt them, and he is going to continue to watch Cain for the time being."

"You're not going to share any more of your thoughts with me, are you?" Harry asked even as he did as told. He rested his head on the older man's thigh and smirked, inching a bit closer to the man. "How's this?" he asked.

Tom smirked and ran his fingers along Harry's jawline. "Turn around and hold still," he said quietly, grabbing hold of Harry's ponytail. "Otherwise I'll leave you to cut your hair on your own, and I will mock you mercilessly for whatever haircut you manage to cut for yourself."

"You're not going to make me look like an idiot, are you?" he asked.

"That would be impossible, pet, and a disservice to me," Tom purred as he summoned a pair of scissors. "Now hold still. I will not be held responsible for any cuts you get from fidgeting." Without any further warning, he took hold of Harry's ponytail and tugged it up so that the back of Harry's neck was fully exposed to him. "Now, while I am under the influence of this Calming Potion, would you care to inform me as to what your captors were planning?" he asked, though his hold on Harry's hair tightened quite a bit.

"How strong is that Calming Potion again?" Harry asked, doing his best to hide a wince when the grip tightened yet again.

"Strong enough to allow for me to cut your hair and hear about your torture without feeling an immediate need to draw blood," Tom said as, with one quick movement, he cut off Harry's ponytail. "Stop stalling."

"Before I found out that Severus was on your side - "

"Which I find very much questionable," Tom said, not caring that he was interrupting the younger man. "He will live, but he will not be getting away unharmed," he said when he noticed Harry's entire body go tense. "I cannot afford to have him on such a long leash anymore."

Harry frowned. "But why are both you and Dumbledore so keen on keeping him on your side?"

Tom smirked. "Becoming a Potions Master is an incredibly difficult process. First, you must have the proper grades and the appropriate skill set. Only after the Council has determined you educated enough to apply for the qualification will they send you the test," he said.

"The test?" Harry asked.

"To pass his test and to be qualified, Severus essentially invented the Wolfsbane Potion. Have you heard of it?" he asked.

Harry started to shake his head, but then he stopped. "No," he said. "But I'm guessing that it has something to do with wolves."

"Werewolves, actually," Tom said. "It allows a werewolf to maintain nearly full control of his mind while he undergoes the transformation under the full moon. He managed to get the consultation and consent of a werewolf student about his age, and that gave him the extra edge that he needed." He let go of Harry's hair, setting the scissors on the bed next to him. "Turn your head to the left," he said, frowning a bit and once again picking up the scissors. "He started his campaign to be certified a Potions Master during his second year in Hogwarts, and he was certified a few weeks before he graduated. He's the youngest man in history to reach that rank."

Harry paused a moment, thinking. "So having a resource of that caliber on your side is both invaluable, but it strengthens your sources?" he asked.

"It also opens the door for potential alliances with other Potions Masters, though none other than Severus currently live on this island," Tom said as he made a few more small cuts before tossing the scissors onto the nightstand next to the bed. "This will work for now," he said, running his hands through Harry's hair and smirking when he heard the younger man try to bite back a quiet moan. "And if you don't like it, then you're going to have to get used to it, because I will spell it so that you cannot change it."

Harry leaned his head back in Tom's lap and smiled up at the Dark Lord. "Your flexibility is just mind-blowing, you know," he said.

Tom merely arched an eyebrow down at him. "I find little use for flexibility when I can just get rid of whomever thinks they are of high enough rank to speak against me," he said. "Unfortunately, I seem to find myself at something of a crossroads with you. Don't think I haven't noticed you've avoided answering my original question," he said quietly.

Harry smirked and turned around, quickly straddling the older man's lap. "At a crossroads?" he asked with an exaggerated pout. "And here I was under the assumption that you were on a bed with me," he said.

Tom smirked and rested his hands on Harry's hips.

"You've made sure that I am the only object of your focus for the next few hours, am I correct?" Harry asked.

"We will not be interrupted for nearly six hours, pet," he said, deliberately keeping his voice calm, though the smirk on his face spoke of another intent.

"I've told you a number of times that I don't like being called pet," Harry said with a scowl.

"And I'm sure you've realized by now that that's not going to stop me," Tom said, taking hold of Harry's hands just before they slipped under his shirt. "You are still injured -"

"But I'm horny," Harry whined, somehow managing to pull off making that statement seem almost innocent. He pulled lightly against the hold Tom held on his wrists. "I'm not broken."

Tom smirked. "That does not change the fact that you are still injured," he said, tightening his hold on Harry's hands and pulling him flush against his chest.

Harry pouted again and leaned his head forward to rest it on Tom's shoulder. "But I want you to fuck me," he said in a voice that wasn't quite a purr, but still not quite a whine. He pulled his hands free from Tom's hold and started to unbutton the older man's shirt. "_Please_?" he asked.

Tom remained silent for a long moment. "You will enjoy it much more when you are not injured," he said, running a hand through Harry's hair. "Trust me."

Harry groaned quietly but didn't move his head from Tom's shoulder. "Fine," he said quietly. "What were you trying to avoid talking about earlier? Does it have something to do with whatever you're doing around midnight?" he asked.

"Have you completed your Animagus transformation?" Tom asked.

Harry sat up a bit and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I mean, I first did it when I was being attacked by the Aurors, but I tried a few times when I was here and you were otherwise occupied. The more I work with the transformation, the easier it is for me," he said, running a hand experimentally through his hair. It ended just above his shoulders, and he frowned a bit before looking over at Tom. "Was that your subtle way of asking for a demonstration of some kind?" he asked.

Tom merely smirked.

Harry returned the look with one of his own. "Yes, well, I'm not going to do anything until you ask me. Nicely," he said.

"I could always offer you the necessary incentive," Tom suggested.

"But you just informed me that we aren't going to fuck, so there's really no point in any of that sort of blackmail," Harry said.

Tom frowned a bit. "You are aware that there is more to physical pleasure than just fucking, I would hope," he said. "What with you being raised in part by a sex-obsessed demon and all."

Harry nodded. "I know," he said. "But it's going to be what I want in the end, so teasing me like that is just unnecessarily mean," he said.

"Would you care to show me your Animagus form?" Tom asked after a long moment, a mild irritation showing on his face despite the Calming Potion.

"Methinks that Calming Potion is wearing off," Harry said with a grin before he bit back a yawn.

Tom smirked. "You're going to need your energy for the meeting this evening," he said quietly.

"A meeting?" Harry asked as he crawled from Tom's lap onto the bed behind the man. "With who?"

"Those of my followers who are going to be the most useful to me within the next few weeks," Tom said as he stood up, allowing Harry to burrow under the comforter on the bed.

"And you want me to be there?" Harry asked through another yawn. He received no response as he rolled onto his stomach and reached for a pillow. "After I wake up, I'll show you my Animagus," he said quietly, closing his eyes. He heard nothing else, as he quickly fell asleep.

...

Harry woke up when he heard the door to his room open and shut quietly. He lifted his head up from the pillow and saw Tom walking into the room. "Is it close to midnight already?" he asked quietly, sitting up a bit but the pain in his chest and his back had him laying back down and scowling darkly. "I don't want to make you late or anything."

"There's enough time for you to clean up and have something to eat," Tom said. "And I need to change your bandages before you leave this room."

Harry nodded slightly. "Could you help me out of the bed?" he asked.

Tom walked over to the bed and, being mindful of the younger man's wounds, helped him onto his feet. He noticed a slightly green tinge to Harry's face and frowned. "Are you nauseous?" he asked, and Harry nodded slightly. Tom sighed. "Come with me into the bathroom," he said. "I'll change your bandages there."

Harry nodded, not saying anything.

As soon as they were in the bathroom, Harry staggered over to the toilet and, without any further warning, he violently emptied the contents of his stomach into the bowl. It lasted five minutes before he was merely dry heaving. He struggled to his feet and found a glass of full of clear liquid handed to him.

"Water," Tom said when Harry looked up at him. "Drink it slowly so it doesn't come up again."

The younger man nodded and did so. When the glass was empty, he set it on the counter. "Thanks," he said.

Tom merely nodded and started to unwrap Harry's bandages.

"Earlier, when you were cutting my hair," he said. "You wouldn't happen to have slipped some sort of sleeping charm onto me, would you?" he asked.

"You needed the rest, and you are not the type to actually make the time to take that rest," Tom said. He glared at Harry's chest as the slightly-healed wounds were revealed to him, but neither of them said anything for a long moment.

Finally, as all of the bandages were removed, Harry broke the silence. "So, this meeting?" he asked, looking down at his chest. He fell silent again when he noticed the severity of his wounds, despite the fact that they were partially healed.

"Because I have you in my possession - and do not fight me on that. You are here with me, and you have come back willingly a number of times, so I have you," Tom said, scowling when he noticed the look on Harry's face. "I have you in my possession, and Lucius has secured his position as the Minister of Magic."

"He's doing well, then?" Harry asked quietly.

"His actions have secured him his position for the next decade, at least," Tom said as he grabbed the salve and started to apply it to the worst of the younger man's wounds. "There will be about a dozen and a half people attending the meeting this time," he said.

"You aren't going to make Severus come to the meeting, are you?" Harry asked.

"He's going to be called. Whether he shows up or not will dictate what happens to him," Tom said coolly. "Turn around."

Harry scowled, but at a pointed glare from Tom, he did as told. "I want him to live," he said.

Tom hummed quietly. "That depends entirely on whether or not he shows up for this meeting," he said after a moment. "Before you fell asleep, you told me that you'd show me your Animagus form," he said as he continued to apply the salve.

Harry glanced over his shoulder at Tom. "I did, yeah," he said quietly, frowning when Tom picked up a roll of bandages. "Don't wrap it too tight, please," he said, closing his eyes as the man started to wrap his torso with the bandages.

As soon as he'd finished wrapping Harry's torso, Tom straightened himself, running his hands through the younger man's hair.

"Thank you," Harry said, turning around to face the Dark Lord. "So, you've apparently managed to get the Ministry under your control," he said.

Tom nodded. "Essentially, yes. There are a few minor problems that can be relatively easily taken care of, but the Ministry is under my control," he said, walking out of the room.

Harry smirked a bit as he followed the older man into the closet. "So what's left in your quest for world domination?" he asked.

Tom laughed quietly as he pulled a pair of black slacks from the closet. "I am not attempting to take over the world, pet. I am merely trying to fix what has been done to this world," he said.

"Right," Harry said as he quickly exchanged his worn out, bloody jeans for black cotton slacks. He noticed Tom staring at him and tinged red. "See something you like?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

Tom smirked. "Most people would know better than to drop their pants in front of a Dark Lord, especially when they aren't wearing any underwear," he said.

"And yet, I just did exactly that," Harry said. "Do I get a shirt, or am I going to stick with this whole torture recovery chic?" he asked, looking down at his chest. "What's your favorite color?"

Tom looked over at him and smirked. "That is an interesting question, pet," he said, pulling a dark green cashmere sweater from one of the shelves.

Harry pulled it on and frowned a bit. "It's too big," he said absently, bunching the sleeves up to his elbows.

"It's one of mine, so that is to be expected," Tom said. "The pants, however, are yours. Your Animagus transformation?" he asked.

"A jaguar," Harry said. "You mentioned something about food?" he asked.

Tom nodded. "In the dining room," he said. "I'd ask that you not eat too much, given your rather stunning display of intestinal acrobatics," he said with a smirk.

Harry nodded and followed the older man out of the room without saying anything.

"The meeting will take place at midnight, and I will be discussing a number of things that can not leave the room," Tom said, looking over at Harry. "Not even to your basilisk," he said. "And, given that you do not seem the type to appreciate some of the finer aspects of torture, there will be parts of this meeting that you will not necessarily appreciate."

"I can handle watching torture," Harry said quietly. "And I won't interfere with anything, even if I don't like what I see."

Tom smirked. "Thank you for that reassurance, pet," he said as he wrapped an arm around Harry's waist and pulled the younger man closer to him. "What would you like to eat?" he asked.

"Some fresh bread, I suppose," he said. "And I don't really want to have a repeat show of my stunning intestinal acrobatics, as you so eloquently put it. Are you going to eat anything yourself?" he asked, watching Tom for a moment.

"I'll have something small," he said, looking down at Harry. "Despite the fact that you are clearly in my possession, there will be those of my followers who still look to cause you harm," he said. "So, when you attend this meeting, I want you to remain in your Animagus form through the entire meeting."

Harry nodded. "I guessed as much," he said. "How long do you think it will take?" he asked.

"I doubt it will take too much longer than an hour, unless someone decides they want to cause problems," Tom said as they walked down the hall toward the dining room.

...

About half an hour later, after Tom had made himself comfortable in the throne in his meeting room, a number of loud pops sounded outside the room and Death Eaters began to file into the room. A few of them stopped short when they noticed a large black jaguar lounging just in front of the throne at Tom's feet.

"Do not waste my time," Tom drawled coldly, and that had the few people hesitating stepping forward. "Severus," he said.

The masked Death Eater who was limping into the door stopped short. "Yes, my lord?" he asked.

"You are injured?" he asked, even though the answer was obvious.

Harry looked over at the man and, were he not in his Animagus form, he would have scowled. As it were, he bared his fangs and hissed lowly.

Tom glanced down at him before looking back over at Severus. "You are of little use to me when you are so injured. Wait outside," he said.

Severus hesitated for a moment before he nodded and did so.

Tom looked down at Harry and motioned vaguely toward the door. "You were going to use more energy worrying about him than paying attention to the meeting anyway," he said, making sure that only Harry could hear him speaking.

Without hesitating, Harry got up and trotted out of the room.

Severus was limping down to one of the sitting rooms further down the hall.

Harry followed him quietly, and he was under the assumption that the older man didn't know he was being trailed by a jaguar.

Neither of them made a sound until Severus took a seat in one of the armchairs. The Potions Master noticed the jaguar sitting in front of him. "Merlin, fuck, what the hell?" he asked in a quiet yet nearly hysteric voice, leaning back in his chair.

Harry grinned, which came out as him baring his teeth. He leaned forward and butted his head lightly against Severus' knee, purring loudly.

It took a minute before Severus reached a hand out and lightly touched Harry's head.

...

Another hour and a half later, the Death Eaters filed out of the meeting room and Apparated away.

Tom walked out of the room when all the Death Eaters were gone, and he made his way back to the front of the room. "Severus," he said quietly as he walked into the sitting room. "I don't recall allowing you to make use of the sitting room. Why are you injured?" he asked, ignoring Harry, who'd made himself comfortable on the couch next to the Potions Master.

"I would rather not say, My Lord," Severus said quietly.

Tom pursed his lips and took a seat across from Severus. "And I would rather you not play the whole insolent man reaching for the middle ground act," he said. "What happened to you?" he asked.

Harry watched the interaction curiously, and neither older man said anything for a long minute.

"Albus Dumbledore decided that I needed to be persuaded to remain completely loyal to him, rather than offering what help I can give to the legendary yet misguided Harry Potter," Severus said. "And he added a curse to this, making it impossible for anyone other than him to heal my wounds with magic. I am forced to wait until my body heals this on it's own."

Tom glanced over at Harry and motioned toward the door. "Try and find the brat, wherever he is, would you?" he asked.

Harry watched him for a long moment before hissing quietly and leaving the room. He slowly changed back into his human form, doing his best to ignore the pins and needles sensation he got in his tailbone as he lost his tail. He hesitated a moment before walking back into the sitting room.

As soon as he stepped into the room, though, his jaw dropped and he couldn't stop himself from staring at Severus. The Potions Master had unbuttoned his shirt and Tom was staring at his torso, in what could only be described as disbelief. There was a deep, diagonal wound stretching from Severus' left shoulder and disappearing under the top of his pants by his right hip. It was deep enough that Harry could see bits and pieces of the older man's ribcage with the depth of the wound.

"How far down your leg does that cut go?" Harry asked quietly, taking hesitant steps into the room.

Severus looked up at Harry with wide eyes, clearly not having heard him walk into the room.

Tom showed no reaction to Harry's entrance, nor did he say anything as the younger man took a seat on the couch next to himself. "Answer his question, Severus," he said.

"You've really gone dark," Severus said quietly, staring at Harry in shock.

"I'd like to think that I'm more neutral in this war, actually," Harry said. "Though I doubt I'll be out there in the midst of battle unless I'm feeling particularly vindictive."

Severus looked up at Harry. "But you're here."

"The Dark Lord likes to think that I'm his property and since he's treated me decently well up to this point, I see no reason to leave and somehow incur his wrath," Harry said with a shrug. "How far down your leg does that wound extend?" he asked, motioning at Severus' torso.

"It reaches just above my knee. Why?" he asked.

Harry shrugged. "I'd just like to know, is all," he said. "If you can't heal this on your own, and the old man is worried about your loyalties, what's going to happen to you?" Harry asked, leaning against Tom's side a bit.

Tom glanced down at Harry but said nothing.

Harry looked up at the Dark Lord and bit back a smirk. "_He could stay here, you know. In one of your guest rooms_," he said quietly. "_This is a large Manor, after all_."

"_And I have already agreed to house your Mudblood friend,_" Tom hissed, his eyes narrowing. "_I will not allow my home to be run over by your little projects, and keep in mind that I am not one to tolerate insolence. There is a line that I will not cross, pet, even for you_," he said. "Severus, you strike me as the type to have some sort of hideaway," he said.

The man shifted a bit in his seat but said nothing, focusing on refastening his shirt buttons.

"That's what I thought," Tom said quietly, smirking slightly as he wrapped an arm around Harry's waist and pulled the younger man closer. "I want you to go to that place, or get a new one, and avoid contact with anyone until you are completely healed."

Severus nodded, still focusing on buttoning his shirt.

"Why haven't you bandaged the wound?" Harry asked.

Severus smirked slightly but said nothing when he noticed Tom watching him closely.

Harry grinned. "You've been trying to fix it with some Potions concoction, haven't you?" he asked.

Severus showed no reaction to the statement.

"You are dismissed, Severus," Tom said quietly.

He nodded and stood up. With a curt bow to Tom, he left the room.

Harry wriggled out of Tom's hold, quickly following the Potions Master toward the door.

"Is there something I can help you with, Potter?" Severus asked without looking back at the younger man.

"I just wanted to thank you," he said quietly. "I don't know what happened to you because you got me out, and you didn't have to do that," he said.

Severus said nothing, but he did stop and look over at Harry.

The younger man said nothing, shifting uncomfortably in his spot. "So, um," he started. "Thanks. For getting me out, and all. And I hope you get better soon."

Severus nodded, saying nothing before Apparating out of the Manor.


	25. Stubborn Recovery

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

Author's Note: So, it seems like it's been forever since I last updated. Unfortunately, at the same time I was assigned like 20 pages worth of research for my University assignments, I was hit with a massive case of the feared writer's block. I think I've pulled myself out of it, but since my semester is over in just 17 days, y'all might have to way like 20 days for an update. I'll do my best to get you fresh wordage, but I'm not going to make any promises.

...

Oh yeah, before you read this chapter. I went back and re-tweaked chapters 22-24, so you might want to have a gander at them. Some changes have been made, and they're slight, but they've still been made.

...

Chapter 25: Stubborn Recovery

...

"Harry!" Hermione called as she walked out of her bedroom.

Harry grinned at her and held up a letter he'd received a few hours ago. "The Minister of Magic sent me a letter," he said, waiting for her to catch up before he continued speaking.

"I gathered as much," she said with a small, almost unsure smile. "What with the piece of parchment in your hand that still has down feathers on it and the official Ministry seal on it, and all," she said, plucking a short white feather off the letter. "What did the Minister have to tell you?" she asked.

"That his son's closest friend used to have a girlfriend from Ravenclaw, which I assume is the bookworm club of Hogwarts, based on what little he told me about it," Harry said with an easy grin, laughing quietly as she blushed brightly. "He informed me that they'd been dating for a few years, but then problems recently forced them apart."

Hermione stared at Harry, not saying anything for a moment.

"Imagine his surprise when he found out that the young Hermione Granger had not only disappeared entirely from her long-term boyfriend's life, but seemed to have switched teams entirely. In the war, at least," he said, looking over at her. He offered her the letter, but she shook her head slightly. "And apparently," Harry said, in a quieter voice. "Blaise Zabini has not been coping well with that news, and he's been acting increasingly out of character for himself."

"How so?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "I haven't met him, so I don't know. But Tom did tell me that the boy has been pushing his mother to request that he join Tom's army early," he said, shoving the letter into one of the back pocket of his jeans. "Which is apparently not a pleasant endeavor."

"No," Hermione said, with a fake shocked look on her face. "Really?" she asked, clearly patronizing him. "Who would ever have imagined that fighting, in a war, under the command of a Dark Lord, would not be a pleasant endeavor?" she asked.

Harry grinned at her. "I thought this was actually one of those more pleasant wars, one with candies and kittens and pillow fights and the like," he said. "You sort of implied earlier that you didn't want to be forced to switch sides."

"I believe I came out and said that," she said. "That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?" Harry asked.

Hermione said nothing for a long moment. "I don't know," she said, stopping in her spot and leaning against the wall. Her hands rested on her stomach.

"I thought you would have terminated the pregnancy as soon as you got the chance," he said quietly, reaching out and experimentally touching the young woman's stomach with the tips of his fingers. The child inside the womb kicked Harry's fingers, and he looked up at Hermione with a grin. "That's brilliant," he said.

Hermione smiled slightly and took hold of Harry's wrist, gently pulling it off of her stomach. "I hate that it's inside me and how it was put inside me," she said. "And I hate the fetus, I really do."

"But?" Harry asked quietly as they once again started to walk through the halls.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked.

"It's a surprise," Harry said with a small smile. "What was the 'but' that you're trying to avoid?" he asked, looping Hermione's arm around his as they headed down a flight of stairs.

She looked up at him, clearly surprised.

Harry laughed, not even having to look at her to catch the look. "I'm practically living with the Dark Lord and I've still managed to keep some secrets from him. Don't act so surprised when I call you on changing the subject," he said. "What's the 'but'?" he asked.

"I keep thinking about what it might have been like to go through this with Blaise," she said quietly, looking back down at her extended stomach. "What it would have been like with him at my side, and all. We talked about it a few times, and he always said he wanted a little boy."

"If you got the chance to go back to Blaise, you could still get the chance, couldn't you?" he asked. "Or did the Weasley boy do something to mess with that?" he asked, making a vague motion at Hermione's stomach, blushing a bright red.

"No," she said, sounding shocked at the mere suggestion. "Ronald deliberately made sure that no permanent damage would be done. He insisted on making sure that it was possible for him to father more children with me. He wants to have a large family, like that which he grew up in," she said with a scowl.

Harry wasn't sure what to say that could comfort her, so he chose to remain silent.

"Blaise wouldn't take me back after what happened anyway," she said quietly. "Shit, I wouldn't take me back after what I've done to him."

"Technically, you haven't done anything," Harry said. "You're a victim in this."

"I appreciate your attempt at consolation, Harry," Hermione said. "But neither Blaise nor myself are going to look at it that way."

"What about a hypothetical situation, then?" Harry asked.

Hermione stopped mid-step and looked up at him. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I'm talking about a hypothetical situation. If, hypothetically, you had the chance to explain what happened and talk things over with Zabini, potentially rekindling whatever it is that you had with him, would you take it?" he asked.

"Of course I would, but that's not going to happen," she said. "So there is no reason for me to speculate about things that I cannot control."

Harry nodded slightly, though he couldn't hide his knowing smirk.

"You're hiding something from me," she accused mildly.

"I'm hiding a number of things from you, actually," Harry said. "But today, the Minister's son, Draco, had the afternoon free, and he was willing to drop by for lunch."

Hermione said nothing.

"You don't believe me?"

"Not even a little bit," she said.

Harry shrugged as he led Hermione into one of the sitting rooms. A young man looking remarkably like a younger version of Lucius Malfoy, though with notedly shorter hair, was sitting on the couch, looking around with veiled interest. "Enjoying the decorations, Malfoy?" he asked as he led Hermione into the room.

"It's nothing like I expected, that's for sure," he said, looking over at the two of them. His gaze hardened when he recognized Hermione, and he stood up. "For the record, I didn't want to come here," he said with a glare.

"Then why did you?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Harry looked over at her and grinned. "Because when the Dark Lord's consort requests your assistance, it's incredibly difficult to turn that request down without irritating the Dark Lord, even indirectly," he said. "I'll have to send your father flowers or something for being so helpful," he muttered.

"My father is not the type to appreciate being sent flowers," the young man said with a smirk. "Chocolate, maybe, or some good liquor would be more appreciated," he suggested.

Harry grinned again. "I'll make a note of that," he said.

"Draco, I honestly had no idea what Harry was planning," Hermione said quietly. "I'll go."

"No," Harry said, gently pushing Hermione into the chair opposite the sofa. "You won't. I feel like fixing part of Dumbledore's problems, and since I'm not healthy or stupid enough to go confront the old man about anything yet, this is going to have to suffice."

Draco scowled. "And here I was, hoping to have some sort of worthwhile conversation instead of wasting my time," he said.

Harry smirked, taking a seat in the closest free chair. "Hermione was forced against her will to leave your friend, and she was raped by one of the Weasley boys," he said. "How's that for a worthwhile conversation starter?"

Hermione glared at him but didn't say anything. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and directed her glare toward the floor.

"It's interesting, I'll give you that," Draco said. "But I'm not going to be interested in this conversation just because you started out with a lie."

Harry shrugged. "I see no reason to waste my time or energy lying to you," he said. "Especially the first time we've met."

Hermione said nothing for a moment, glancing down at the ground. "Harry told me that Blaise changed, Draco," she said hesitantly. "How has he changed?"

"Why did you allow the Weasel to impregnate you?" he asked.

"I believe I just mentioned that Hermione was given no choice in the matter," Harry said irritably as he leaned back in his chair. "Try not to take any more cheap shots," he said.

Draco scowled slightly but nodded slightly.

Harry nodded. "Now, Hermione asked you a question. Be a gentleman about this, would you?" he asked.

After a brief hesitation, Draco swore quietly. "For the first three months after you and Blaise separated, he was on a suicide watch, and Pansy and I sometimes worry that he'll have a mental relapse, of sorts," he said. "He doesn't talk to anyone anymore, and he's been focusing on his studies, acting like that's going to stop people from worrying about him."

Hermione was silent, and neither Harry nor Draco said anything as she wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. She stayed silent for a long moment, trying to regain her composure. Finally, she spoke. "And what about Ariana?" she asked.

Draco's brow furrowed momentarily. "His mother is rightly concerned about her son, and she's planned out a number of increasingly creative ways to kill you for what you've done to him," he said, though his tone was noticeably gentler as Hermione started crying in earnest. He looked over at Harry, not saying anything.

Harry opened his mouth to ask if they wanted a moment alone when a telltale shimmer of scales against the far wall of the room caught his attention.

"_Little boy, you and I need to have a conversation about your mate_," Nagini hissed as she moved toward the three of them. "_And do not try to waste my time by conversing longer with the new humans._"

Harry looked back over at Draco, who were watching him rather calmly, and Hermione, who was once again struggling to regain her composure. "I'm going to leave you two to continue this conversation, since it's striking me as something of a private moment," he said with a grin. He stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. "No drawing blood, no unwanted physical contact, and no being unnecessarily spiteful," he said. "I'll send someone in to make sure that neither of you are hurt in a few minutes."

"I'm not going to touch her," Draco said calmly as he crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

"Fantastic," Harry said with a light scowl before walking out of the room.

Nagini was waiting just outside the door, and she watched him for a moment.

"_Are you worried about him?"_ Harry asked after a long minute. "_Is something wrong?_"

"_I think he's worried about the ritual you're going to go through with him. He's spent the past two days staring at the fish-tank,_" Nagini said quietly. She moved quickly down the hall without needing to look back to know that Harry was following her.

"_And how do you expect me to fix anything that's wrong with him? It's almost impossible for me to tell what's going on in his head unless he outright tells me_," Harry hissed as he followed her through the halls.

Nagini let out an angry, frustrated hiss, but said nothing. Instead, she started moving more quickly toward the room that opened to the aquarium viewing room.

Harry scowled and followed her.

Tom was in the room, staring blankly at the murky tank in front of him.

"_I'm not making any promises,_" Harry said, glancing down at Nagini. She nodded and moved back down the hallway. Before she got too far, though, he called her back. "_Nagini,_" he said. "_Would you or Aviva do me a favor and spy on the people in the main sitting room?_" he asked.

She smirked, as much as a snake could, and nodded. "_It will be our pleasure_," she said.

"Tom?" Harry asked as he walked into the room and closed the door. "You've got the snakes worried about you."

"Nagini has been worried about me since she was a hatchling," Tom said, not looking over at Harry. "It hasn't been contagious before, and I do not want to deal with you playing the part of mother hen as well."

"I'm not that good at worrying," Harry said as he walked into the room. He glanced at the front of the aquarium, and upon seeing nothing watching him, he almost hesitantly reached out and took hold of Tom's hand.

The older man said nothing, merely pulling Harry a bit closer to him.

Harry smirked and quickly took a seat on the floor between Tom's legs. "I'm not going to worry about you," he said. "Because you're going to be king and make things easy for me."

Tom smirked down at Harry. "Am I?" he asked. "After all, you are the one on your knees in front of me," he said.

"Yes, but I can make things uncomfortable for you," he said with a smirk. "After all, I can bite."

Tom's eyes narrowed and he threaded his free hand through Harry's hair, pulling the younger man's head away from his crotch. "What else would motivate me into sharing my inner thoughts with you?" he asked.

Harry paused for a moment, thinking about it. Finally, he smirked. "How'd you like a blowjob?" he asked, watching the Dark Lord mischievously.

Tom smirked, tightening his hold on Harry's hair. "And all you want is for me to bare my soul for you in exchange?" he asked.

"Actually," Harry said. "I'd just like to know what has you so concerned about things that you're spending your time staring at your little fish tank. The rest of your soul you can keep to yourself." He laughed quietly. "For now, at least."

Tom smirked again and he loosened his hold on Harry's hair. "I'm closer to getting things done than I originally thought I was," he said. "The two biggest obstacles in my path, at the moment, are Dumbledore and the Longbottom boy. The simplest way I can think of to get rid of them is sending you back to the Burrow."

Harry frowned slightly. "You want to send me back there?" he asked hesitantly. "To kill Dumbledore and Longbottom?"

"I'd actually been tossing around the idea of going in your place," Tom said with a lazy smirk. "There are a number of potions that could give me the chance to adopt your appearance, even if only for a short time."

The younger man scowled and reached back to pull Tom's hand out of his hair. "I'm not letting you have any of my hair, or any of my other body parts that you might use for any variation of the Polyjuice Potion," Harry said quietly as he shifted forward a bit so his head rested on Tom's thigh.

"You're not really in any position to object to me plucking even one hair from your head at the moment, are you?" Tom asked, threading his hands back through Harry's hair.

Harry looked up at him and smiled lazily. "If you pull out so much as one piece of my hair, I will find myself leaning forward and taking a bite out of your crotch," he said. "Completely on accident, mind you," he said.

Tom frowned but said nothing for a moment. Finally, he pulled Harry up into his lap and kissed him almost gently.

A brief sudden movement from inside the aquarium caught both of their attention, and they both watched the tank for a long moment before a smirk came over Harry's face and he leaned down to kiss the man, hoping to take him by surprise while the Dark Lord was still watching the aquarium through narrowed eyes.

It didn't quite work, and he felt Tom smirking into the kiss. The older man made a move to deepen the kiss when someone clearing their throat from the doorway had them both looking in that direction. Harry brightened immediately and turned in Tom's lap to face the newcomer, doing his best to ignore the way the older man's arms tightened around his waist.

Tom scowled darkly as he recognized the man standing just inside the room. "I don't recall giving you permission to come into my Manor," he growled, not releasing Harry from his hold.

"Preemptive blood magic with the kid," he said. "Toby helped me make sure that I'd be able to find him no matter how many wards he was hidden under." At the continued glare from Tom, he did his best to hide a scowl and bowed deeply to the man. "I beseech your forgiveness, My Lord, for my unexpected and almost entirely unwarranted arrival in your Manor. I can assure you that it will never happen again," he said, remaining in his subservient position until Tom made a quiet scoffing noise.

"I'll allow you this one transgression, even if only because you're here to see the brat in my lap," Tom said.

Harry shot a grateful look to Tom, though he couldn't stop the grin from taking over his face. "Cain," he said, quickly pulling himself out of Tom's hold to walk over and hug his guardian. "How was your time with Irwin?" he asked as the older man hugged him tightly.

"It was as much fun as it usually is, in spite of the pervy little voyeur sent from the Dark Lord to spy on us," Cain said with a grin. Both he and Harry ignored the quiet growl coming from Tom. "Now, I was going to bring Irwin back to the shop, but when I got back to the courtyard, Pepper informed me that Toby destroyed Serpicos." He scowled. "She did offer to give me the one brick that remained of the shop, and she told me to come to you for the explanation," he said quietly.

"There was no other choice," Harry said. "The security of the shop was compromised beyond repair."

"How so?"

Tom leaned back in his chair, choosing instead to silently watch the interaction, hoping that he'd be given some answers that he wouldn't have to pull out of Harry sometime later - either through force or persuasion.

"Certain Aurors from the Ministry came by a little while after you left," Harry said. "And they ended up killing all the snakes except Aviva, and they tried to exorcise Tobias. Tom was kind enough to take the two of us in after he found out what happened," he said.

"I very much doubt kindness had too much to do with it," Cain said, glancing dispassionately over at Tom. "Given what I nearly walked in on, and all."

Harry smirked. "I was technically the one to initiate what you nearly walked in on," he said quietly, taking a step back from Cain and tugging hesitantly on his shirt. The slight motion did not escape Tom's notice, though he said nothing for a moment. "Why were you gone so long?" Harry asked.

"I didn't worry you, did I?"

"No more than usual, given that you and Irwin have been going at it longer than I've been around," Harry said with a shrug. "But you normally send word when you're going to be later than what you originally told me."

Cain smirked. "I had planned on it," he said. "But Irwin somehow managed to continue distracting me."

"Are you two getting married, then?"

"Don't go crazy on me, kid. Neither of us want to settle down, no matter how fond of each other we are," Cain said. He looked back over at Tom. "I did not entirely mean to interrupt whatever was going on between the two of you," he said.

Tom smirked. "Good. Then you can leave and we can get back to it," he said coolly, reaching forward and taking hold of Harry's wrist.

The younger man turned his wrist to intertwine their fingers. He looked over at Tom, who wasn't bothering to hide his leer at him. Harry grinned, but when he noticed the glare Cain was sending in his direction, he looked at the ground and did his best to hide the grin.

A moment of awkward silence passed, and in that short time, Tom's leer had been replaced with a cool, almost detached look in Cain's direction.

Cain hesitated a moment before offering a curt bow to the Dark Lord. "For the record, My Lord, I am entirely uncomfortable with what's going on in here," he said. "He's barely able to consent!"

"I'll be sure to make a note of that before he's back on his knees for me," Tom said coldly before motioning pointedly toward the door.

Cain scowled and swore quietly but left the room, shutting the door louder than necessary.

As soon as he was gone, Harry took the two steps to reclaim his spot between Tom's legs.

"_On your knees, pet_," Tom said almost gently. He threaded his fingers back through Harry's hair when he did as told, lightly massaging the boy's scalp.

"Now, where were we?" Harry asked, smirking cheekily up at the Dark Lord.

"You were setting about showing me just how much you adore me," he said, though a sudden, almost ominous movement on the other side of the glass of the fish tank caught his attention. He threaded a hand through Harry's hair and almost gently pulled the younger man to his feet.

Harry hesitated a moment, not sure why Tom had forced him to stop. He noticed the mermaid swimming back and forth in front of the glass, watching them with a sinister intelligence, and scowled. "I'll have you know that fish is creepy," he said. He looked back over at Tom, a mischievous smirk coming over his face. "Why don't I show my adoration for you in another room?" he asked. "Say, while you're on your throne?" he asked, though he tugged on the bottom hem of his shirt again.

"As tempting as that offer sounds," Tom said, arching an eyebrow suspiciously. "I'd rather you tell me how much pain you're in at the moment," he said.

The younger man hesitated a moment. "On a scale of one to ten?" he asked.

Tom shrugged. "If that suits you, I suppose it will work for now," he said. "Though if you lie to me, you will be in more pain than you are now."

"It's between a six and a seven at the moment," Harry admitted after a short hesitation.

Tom's eyes narrowed. "And what was your reason for keeping this information to yourself?" he asked.

Harry shrugged slightly, looking down at the ground and trying to hide the light blush on his face.

"Come with me," Tom said, gently wrapping an arm around Harry's waist.

"Where are we -"

"To my bedroom. I'll give you a few potions to numb the pain for a little while, and I'll change your bandages while you're vulnerable for me to take advantage of you," Tom said.

Harry looked up at him and grinned. "It's hardly taking advantage when the so called vulnerable one is entirely willing to join in on the fun," he said. "And I'd give you my word that I'll return the favor whenever you ask it of me, but you'd end up humiliating the shit out of me."

"What makes you think that?" Tom asked, though he was smirking.

"First of all, the look on your face is entirely untrustworthy," Harry said. "And you strike me as the type who would have me go down on you in the middle of a Death Eater meeting, or something."

Tom chuckled quietly but said nothing as he led Harry to his bedroom.

...

Once the younger man was situated relatively comfortably on Tom's bed and the older man had changed his bandages, a quiet comfort settled between them.

Harry opened his eyes and looked up at the Dark Lord when he felt the man lightly touch his back between his shoulder blades. He eyed the two vials in the man's hands almost warily.

"One is the numbing potion that I offered you, and the other is a dreamless sleep potion," Tom said by way of explanation. "I want no arguments with me on the sleeping potion," he added when he noticed a glimmer of protest light up in the boy's gaze.

"Fine," Harry said quietly, reaching for the vials. "But you have to stay with me until I fall asleep, otherwise I'll tell Nagini that you miss her constant presence at your side," he said with a smirk. "And then I'll tell Aviva that you told me you want to get to know her better."

Tom chuckled quietly but made himself comfortable on the bed next to Harry. Once the younger man had emptied both of the vials, he took them and set them on the nearby nightstand.

As soon as Harry saw that the older man's hands were free, he carefully maneuvered his way over to the middle of the bed so he could rest his head on the Dark Lord's shoulder.

"I never said that I was going to stay in the bed with you, pet," Tom said, though there was little threat behind his statement.

"I'm injured, and you've just drugged me with a sleeping potion," Harry said, his eyes already starting to drift closed. "If you really want me to be your consort, or whatever, you're going to have to let me have my way every once in a while," he said quietly.

Tom smirked but said nothing as the younger man quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.


	26. Nefarious

Holy shit it's been a while, and you all have my apologies for that. I don't know what to tell you other than this has been far too long in the works, summer college semesters suck big huge - anyway, I got a new baby kitten yesterday. Eli. He's like 10 weeks old today, and he's awesome (though for some reason I keep calling him Bug. Too much of My Soul To Keep, maybe, but whatever.)

Anyway, you have here my sincere apologies that this has taken so long to put out, and my (hopeful) promise that there won't be as long a gap as this again. We're still relatively close to the end.

Disclaimer: (just to be on the safe side): I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

...

Chapter 26: Nefarious

...

An owl flew through the window, startling Harry awake as it perched on the back of a nearby chair and seemed to just wait patiently. For a long moment, Harry didn't recognize his surroundings, and only when someone mumbled something quietly beside him did he remember that Tom had allowed him to sleep in his chambers the previous evening, as he had for the past few nights.

"There had best be a reason for you to be awake so bloody early," Tom growled, peeking out from underneath his pillow to glare at the younger man.

Harry offered the Dark Lord an apologetic smile. "The very large, angry-looking owl that just flew in contributed greatly to the early waking," he said, making sure to keep his voice quiet. Tom did not strike him as a particularly friendly morning person, and he saw no reason to irritate the man this early in the morning without cause.

"Then take the bloody letter from the owl, put it on the nightstand, and go back to sleep," Tom growled, rolling over and seeming to go back to sleep almost immediately.

Harry smirked at the man and said nothing else. He took the letter from the owl, only barely able to pull his fingers back without being bitten by the creature. As soon as the letter was on the nightstand, the owl flew out the window, and Tom had apparently gone back to sleep. Harry looked at the letter curiously, absently wondering who'd be sending a letter to the Dark Lord at barely after dawn.

"If you're so concerned about the letter, open it and read it," Tom muttered darkly.

"Are you sure?"

"You think too loudly for this early in the morning," he muttered, rolling onto his side with his back to Harry. "Read it and be quiet so I can go back to sleep.

Harry was about to open the letter before he noticed the seal on the back of the envelope. "But it's from Lucius," he said quietly.

Tom groaned and took hold of the letter, reading it over for a moment before dropping the first page of the letter onto Harry's chest. "That's for you," he said, setting the other page onto his nightstand. "Now be quiet and let me sleep for another hour so I don't have to hex you."

"My apologies," Harry said, picking up the letter.

_My Lord,_ it started. _I wrote this letter last night, and I'm sorry if it arrives at an inconvenient time for you. I also apologize if this crosses a line, but this letter is intended for the young man who worked in a snake shop._

Harry glanced over at Tom, grinning when he received a rude gesture in response.

_Harry, while I don't know for sure why you asked for my son's assistance, I am not entirely sure what your motives were for sending me chocolate and scotch, but I am grateful. For the latter, at least. Since I have a feeling that you will end up requesting my assistance again, I should tell you that while I do appreciate a 16 year old Lavagulin, my favorite scotch whiskey is a 1985 Glenrothes._

_Draco did want to pass on a note that he was somewhat appreciative for the meeting between him and the Granger girl, though both he and I would have appreciated knowing the motive for his visit to the Dark Lord's Manor before he arrived there._

_If you need anything in the future, I will do what I can to help._

_My son also mentioned that he would like to speak with you again, though this time without a Mudblood addition to the conversation._

_I wish you well, Harry._

_Lucius_

Harry grinned and slipped out of the bed, doing his best not to disturb Tom any further. He headed down the hall, tucking the letter into the pocket of his lounge pants, and made his way toward the sunroom.

Aviva was in the room, lounging on one of the rocks charmed to stay warm, and she perked up a bit when Harry walked into the room. "_It has been quite a while, child_," she said, smiling as much as a snake could. "_I almost forgot what you looked like_," she said.

"_I'm sure Nagini has been doing her best to keep you occupied in my absence,_" he said, sitting on the ground next to the rock.

"_She has been quite pleasant company, yes. Now, would you care to tell me what happened to you that's got you smelling like dried blood and healing salves?_" she asked, flicking her tongue out suspiciously at him. "_And I'd also like to know why you're considering going back to the people who made you smell like this_," she added.

Harry sighed heavily and leaned back, closing his eyes. He smiled a bit when Aviva gently dropped her still-warm coils on his stomach. "_Do you remember when that cobra bit me and you killed it_?" he asked.

"_All too well, child_," she said, flicking her tongue over the bandages to inspect his wound. "_Did you get attacked by another cobra_?" she asked.

Harry smiled a bit. "_Of sorts,_" he said. "_It was one of my own kind, and there's a minor problem with what happened_," he said.

Aviva was silent for a long moment. "_You should wait until you're fully healed before you seek out revenge, and I want to come with you when you kill them_," she hissed knowingly, butting her head against his chin.

The young man nodded. "Your wish is my command," he mumbled, absently petting her head.

...

He woke up a short time later when a house elf popped into the room, not entirely sure when he'd drifted off to sleep. "Mixie?" he asked.

"Master wishes for Master's guest to join him in the dining room to be eating breakfast," she said, backing away from Harry when she noticed the snake resting on Harry's chest. "Is Master's guest needing Master to be taking the snake off of Master's guest's body?" she asked with wide eyes.

"I'll be fine, Mixie," Harry said with a small smile.

Mixie nodded, clearly still terrified of Aviva, and disappeared with a loud pop.

"_Aviva_," Harry hissed. "_Tom wants me to have breakfast with him_," he said. "_Did you want to join us_?"

The basilisk was silent for a moment, thinking it over. "_I'll find you after you've eaten_," she said, moving off of Harry and returning to the top of the warm rock.

Harry watched her for a moment before leaving the sunroom and heading for the dining room.

Tom was waiting for him when he walked into the room, an almost pensive look on his face.

The table had already been set, and the plate of bacon alone was enough to have Harry's mouth watering as he walked into the room and took his usual seat to the left of Tom.

"What?" Harry asked. "I haven't done anything yet."

"I've been thinking about how to deal with Dumbledore and his secondhand Savior," Tom said as Harry took a seat. "Your offer yesterday came to my mind while I was getting out of bed, and I had an idea," he said.

"And what's that idea?" Harry asked as he piled an omelet and bacon onto his plate. "Because I already volunteered to go back there and take care of them myself."

"I know, and a few things have come to my attention this morning that have led me to think that it might be better to take care of this issue sooner rather than later," Tom said, filling up a plate of his own.

Harry watched him for a moment, clearly a bit confused. "Like what?" he asked.

"Lucius needs my legal assistance later today, involving a meeting with some ambassadors from Germany and the Americas," Tom said. "And apparently, since the ambassadors are going to be here for a few days, Dumbledore is taking the opportunity to speak with members of an uprising in South America about joining his forces here in exchange for his assistance," he said. "Without the knowledge of the ambassadors or the government officials there."

"And Longbottom?"

"Has received a number of anonymous threats that are seemingly more credible than the other threats he's received in the past, so Dumbledore is going to have members of his supposedly secret Order put both the boy and his grandmother into a safe house after he leaves for South America."

Harry leaned back in his chair. "How did you find out about that?" he asked.

"I have spies everywhere, my pet," Tom purred, smirking at the irritated look that Harry shot him.

"Will you tell me who this spy is?" Harry asked. "Or where the supposedly anonymous threats came from?" he asked.

Tom hummed quietly for a moment. "The werewolves offered me that last token of information as a gift, solidifying their allegiance to me and finalizing the treaty that Fenrir Greyback and I arranged," he said. "The threats are another story entirely, though," he added.

"And how's that?"

Tom smirked again. "I have a number of intelligent followers who are able to pick up on my more subtle hints, and then follow them with an almost astounding degree of creativity," he said. "The remainder of the Longbottom family is going to be moved this evening, close to midnight, and they will be the most vulnerable while Dumbledore is gone."

Harry grinned. "And that's where I come in, right?" he asked.

Tom nodded. "I'm not sure if either of us are going to have the pleasure of killing Dumbledore ourselves, but I have an alliance with a small tribe of vampires living throughout South America, and they have volunteered their services to apprehend Dumbledore while he's in their territory," he said. "I informed them that I would appreciate having him in my possession, alive and relatively unharmed, but I am well aware that that may not be possible, given the old man's insistence on fighting," he added.

"So, best case scenario, I kill Longbottom and you and Lucius arrange treaties with those three countries today, your vampires capture the old man while he's on vacation and bring him back here. Then you light him on fire and burn him to death while you take over the rest of the British Island and you're done?" Harry asked.

"With the easier part, yes," Tom said, chuckling at the scenario that the younger man had offered. "After that it's the long and tedious process of repairing this country's broken administration," he added.

Harry said nothing for a moment, focusing on eating his breakfast.

Mixie popped into the room a few seconds later. "Master, Mister Minister of Magic is being arriving in your siting room, and he is being wondering if you are still wanting him here, or if he is being coming back later?" she asked.

"Show him in here," Tom said.

Mixie nodded and disappeared, and a few minutes later, both Lucius and Hermione walked into the room.

Tom's eyes narrowed slightly when he noticed that Harry offered Hermione the empty seat next to him, but he said nothing about it, choosing instead to turn to speak quietly with Lucius, wordlessly erecting a Privacy Charm around the two of them.

"So, Hermione, how have you been?" Harry asked as she served herself a small amount of scrambled eggs and a glass of ginger ale.

"Fine, I suppose," she said. "Though I will be leaving around five thirty tonight," she added.

"Why?"

"Blaise's mother asked to speak with me," she said. "I'm hoping that Draco spoke with her, otherwise I'm going to disappear and never be seen again. What are you going to do today?"

Harry laughed quietly. "I'm going to hunt down someone who deserves to die and give them what they deserve," he said.

"Which one of them is it?" she asked knowingly.

Harry chanced a glance up at Tom, but found him fully engaged in his conversation with Lucius, and looked back at Hermione. "Longbottom," he said quietly. "He's being moved from the Burrow to a safe house, and I'm going to take the chance that comes along with that move," he added.

Hermione looked down at her plate for a moment, not saying anything. "If he's being moved to a safe house, he's not going to be in the Burrow today," she said finally, barely audible.

"Where's he going to be, then?" he asked.

Hermione was silent for another moment. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone about this place, and I'm not really sure if I should even know about it," she said.

"What is it?"

"The Headquarters to the Headmaster's secret army," she said. "It's spelled so that no one can verbally give away it's location, but if I have a piece of paper and a quill, I could write it down for you."

Harry nodded and silently summoned the requested items. "You're sure about this?" he asked.

"No," she said, writing down the address. "But I already know how this war is going to end, if you're already so closely aligned with the Dark Lord, and if he's got the Minister on his side as well." She hesitated only briefly before handing the paper over to Harry.

He read the address before grinning and tossing a knife at Tom.

The older man caught it, almost as though he'd been expecting it, and he dropped the Privacy Charm. "Is there a reason for you to be acting like an uncivilized heathen?" he asked.

Harry held up the slip of paper, holding it so that only he could see the address written on it. "_I have in my possession the current location of the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix,_" he hissed.

"_Let me see it_," Tom hissed back.

"_Not right now_," Harry said, grinning. "_After all, I am the consort, or something to a Dark Lord. If he's not going to share with me all his secrets, I see no reason to do otherwise_," he said. "_Perhaps if you're nice to me?"_ he suggested.

Tom smirked. "_Well played, pet, but I will get that information from you regardless of how much you try to resist my charms,_" he said.

"Yes," Harry drawled. "Even now, it's overwhelming just to be in your presence. If you'd be so kind as to excuse me, My Lord, I must go and wallow in the lack of prestige that comes with being lesser than you," he said, standing up.

Hermione did her best to muffle her laughter, though given the glare that Tom sent her way, she wasn't as successful as she'd hoped. "Excuse me," she said, standing up suddenly and holding a hand to her mouth as she rushed from the room.

Harry walked over to Tom.

"That's going to cost you, you realize," Tom said quietly.

Harry smirked. "_I'm looking forward to it_," he said.

Tom returned the smirk and pulled the younger man closer to him to chastely kiss him. "I want you to think of at least three ways you'd kill the brat, and once Lucius and I are finished with our business, I will seek you out to hear what they are," he said quietly. "Until then, you are dismissed."

Harry nodded, smiling a bit. "Yes, My Lord," he said before walking out of the room.

"Pet," Tom called before Harry left the room. "I'll need the address along with your three plans," he said.

Harry said nothing, choosing to just silently slip out of the room.

...

About two hours later, after changing his clothes and bandages and having an extensive conversation with both Nagini and Aviva, Harry found himself wandering into the library and made his way toward Tom's study.

The man was in there, reading one of the reports on his desk. When Harry walked inside, though, Tom set his report aside and motioned for Harry to come further inside. "Do you have three ideas?" he asked.

"I do," Harry said as he made himself comfortable in Tom's lap. "Is everything alright?"

"It is," Tom said. "And apparently, there is going to be a ball this evening, courtesy of Narcissa Malfoy," he said.

"What for?"

"Narcissa doesn't usually need a reason to throw a party, but she's choosing to mention to her husband that the visiting ambassadors deserved to be welcomed in a more jubilant manner than a traditional dinner," Tom said. "And the German and North American ambassadors have asked that the rising Dark Lord be invited to the ball so that they can have the chance to speak with him."

Harry said nothing. "What has you hesitant?" he asked. "They wouldn't be that obvious about it being a trap, would they?"

"That's what has me concerned," Tom said. "Though I'm not worried about having to fight my way out," he added.

Harry hummed quietly. "Go," he suggested.

"And what would be your reason for wanting me to go?" Tom asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"I don't see you as the type to waste a chance to build up international relations, or to set up potential alliances," Harry said. "And if someone pisses you off enough, you'll end up showing just how powerful you are and what happens if someone crosses you."

Tom smirked. "And what do you think you'd be doing while I was at this political event of mine?" he asked.

"Staying here and digging up each and every one of your dirty secrets, of course," Harry said with a smirk before leaning forward to kiss Tom. "You've got the experience and interest in the mind-numbing political events like that," he added, kissing him again.

The older man returned the kiss before smirking. "You'll be coming with me tonight, then," he said.

"But I thought I was going to kill Longbottom tonight," Harry said, scowling.

Tom smirked. "Then you'd best be quick about the killing," he said. "What's your plan?" he asked.

"I'll ambush him and then go for the jugular, just like I've been taught," Harry said. "Why?"

"That's one of three plans," Tom said. "How's about something of a wager with this killing of yours?" he asked suddenly.

Harry leaned back a bit, not saying anything for a moment. "A wager?" he asked.

Tom smirked. "If you come back with the brat's body, I'll allow you to attend this ball either in your Animagus form or as you are right now," he said.

"You'll be allowed into the ball with a jaguar at your side?" Harry asked.

Tom shrugged a bit. "Why not?" he asked. "I am a Dark Lord, and Narcissa is widely known for her extravagance," he said.

"And if, for any given reason, I don't come back with a body?" Harry asked.

"Then you attend the ball at my side, as you are, and the word will spread throughout the country that you are my consort," Tom said with a smug smirk.

"I'll bring back the bloody body," Harry said, scowling a bit. "I'm going to take Aviva and head to the headquarters of Dumbledore's army while I can," he said.

Tom nodded his head a bit and smiled a bit. "I look forward to your return," he said gently. "Your wounds are almost healed, are they not?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "I don't think I'll need any help, but I've got the armband if anything unexpected happens," he said.

"I look forward to your return with a dead body," Tom said.

Harry nodded again and walked out of the study, heading for the sunroom, where he'd last seen Aviva.

When he got there, it seemed almost like she was waiting for him. "_You're going after one of them, aren't you_?" she asked as he picked her up and draped her over his shoulders.

"_We are,_" he said. "_The boy, but not the old man_," he added as he headed out of the room and toward the sitting room. "_We're going to bring the body back, though_," he said.

"_Why, child_?"

"_I made a wager with Tom_," he said as he walked into the sitting room and looked around. "Mixie?" Harry called, and the house elf popped up in front of him a moment later.

"How is Mixie being able to help Master's guest?"

Harry paused for a moment, not sure how to bring up his question. "When I get back here, I'm going to have a dead body with me," he said, sitting on the couch in the sitting room. "But I made a wager with Tom," he added, rubbing Aviva's head a bit. "And I want to play something of a prank on him when I bring it back here."

Mixie smiled a bit. "How can Mixie be helping?" she asked. "Mixie will be keeping this a secret between Mixie and Master's guest."

"When I bring the body back, could you wrap it in wrapping paper and put it on the desk in Tom's study?" he asked.

Mixie laughed loudly, a shrill sound that was almost unpleasant to the ears, and nodded. "Mixie is going to be getting the wrapping paper while Master's guest is out," she said before disappearing with a loud pop.

Harry watched her go before he looked down at Aviva. "_Are you ready to go_?" he asked.

"_As long as I am allowed to serve a purpose more than a decoration, child,_" she said.

Harry laughed and stood up, grabbing a handful of Floo powder. "_I was hoping you'd help me do as much damage as we can while we're there,_" he said. "_But I'm probably going to be in my feline form while we're in the house._"

"_It will be fun working with you, child,_" she said. "_Now, hurry up. It isn't fair for you to tell me that I can stretch my fangs and then make me wait,_" she added.

Harry smirked again and stepped into the fireplace, tossing down the Floo powder and stating his destination clearly.

...

Pepper was sitting on a couch, reading a book, when Harry walked into her restaurant. "I've missed you and Cain, little boy," she said, not looking up from her book.

"Cain hasn't been hanging around here?" he asked.

She looked up at him and grinned. "He's been by, but he's been spending more and more time with Irwin, since Australia apparently has a number of species of the snakes that he lost in the attack on the shop," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was hoping you would give me some hints about Apparating somewhere that I've never seen," he said, sitting on the couch next to her. "Or that you would let me use your fireplace with the untraceable charms on it, so I could get somewhere that I'm not really supposed to be in the first place."

"Why?" she asked, reaching out to pet Aviva's back.

"Causing mayhem and destruction," he said with a grin.

"If you need any help with that, I do have some Muggle contraband," she said. "Fireworks and a few small bombs and that," she added.

Harry shook his head. "I think I'll be good," he said. "And I hate to rush you, Pepper, but I do have a time limit," he added.

"You've made a bet on this, haven't you?" she asked knowingly. "I hope the prize is worth it," she said.

Harry nodded.

She grinned at him. "You know where the fireplace is," she said.

"Oh, yeah, if you want to crash a Ministry party, there's one tonight, but I'm not entirely sure where it is," he said.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said.

"Thank you, Pepper," Harry said, kissing her cheek before heading downstairs.

He grabbed a bit of Floo powder out of the box it was kept in before stepping into the fireplace, intent on going to Diagon Alley.

...

As soon as he was in a small pub in the Alley, he glanced back down at the slip of paper with the address on it and took a deep breath, hoping this would be successful.

He Apparated with the destination firmly set in his mind and almost immediately found himself in front of a large brick house in an unmistakably Muggle neighborhood.

Aviva perked up from around his neck, flicking her tongue out suspiciously. "_Are you sure this is the right place, child_?" she asked. "_It reeks of inferiority_."

Harry did his best to appreciate the joke for what it was, but he couldn't help but feel almost defeated. Perhaps Hermione had lied to him?

The front door to the house opened suddenly, and Harry quickly hid himself behind a nearby tree, hoping he hadn't been seen already.

Severus stumbled out, limping heavily, but as soon as the door shut behind him, he straightened himself and started walking down the street without any signs that he was injured. He passed the tree that Harry was hiding behind and stopped. "You weren't noticed," he said quietly as he worked on fastening the buttons of his black Muggle jacket, deliberately making it look like he was having trouble with it. "There aren't many people in there, since there is supposedly a planned Death Eater attack on the Ministry this afternoon."

Harry said nothing, deliberately staying quiet. Plausible deniability for the both of them.

"You'll have about an hour before the guard on the boy changes in preparation for his move later today," he continued. "Which, I gather, is why you're here. Do you need me to tell you anything else?" he asked.

"I thought you were injured."

Severus snorted. "I am. I just know better than to appear that way in public, much as I hope you know as well," he said. "The ever loving Headmaster found out my plans on my way out of the country and he has bound my magic to only work in certain areas."

"Will you be at the Ministry tonight?"

"I wish to remain alive, Potter," Severus said, glancing down the street suddenly. "You've got a few minutes to get inside before anyone notices a stranger out on the street," he said. "Take your chance before it passes."

Harry nodded. "Thank you," he said. "And I'll keep this meeting between us for as long as I can," he added.

"I appreciate that," he said, not moving more than a few steps before his hand went to his chest and he grimaced in pain.

"I hear vampires have a different kind of magic than we do," Harry said absently. "There will likely be a few of them at the Ministry this evening. I believe they wish to lodge a complaint against the Ministry's restrictions on them in Britain," he added.

Severus nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Good luck, Potter."

Harry nodded and ducked out from behind the tree. He offered the Potions Master a quick smile before he ran up to the house and opened the door just enough for him to step inside.

He'd only managed to take a few steps before Aviva perked her head up again.

"_Hold still_," she said.

"_What's wrong_?" Harry asked, a sudden sinking feeling weighing him down.

"Do not move another step, or I will alert the entire house as to your presence," a cold, calm voice commanded him.

He closed his eyes and bit back a swear before turning a bit to face the threat.


	27. Hunting and Preparations

Here y'all go. Enjoy. (I have strep, right after summer classes are over. Awesome.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any profit from writing this. It's actually pulling me away from the non-fanfiction writing that I'm supposed to be doing, so take that for what it is.

...

Chapter 27:

Hunting and Preparations

...

When he looked around, Harry saw no one in the hall, though there was a large portrait of an old woman staring down at him in poorly concealed interest. "Are you the one-"

"You're not one of them," she said, interrupting him.

Harry frowned, shaking his head.

"How are you related to the Dark Lord?" she asked, this time in a much quieter voice.

Harry looked up and down the halls for anyone again before looking back at the portrait. "Why would you ask something like that?" he asked. "What makes you think that I'm related to him?"

"The few that are here are on the second floor," the woman said. "The rest of them are in Diagon Alley, preparing for a last minute Ministry event tonight," she said. "And no one has ever come into my house with a basilisk draped around his neck," she added.

"But why would that make you think that I'm related to the Dark Lord?" Harry asked.

The woman stared at him suspiciously for a long moment. "Who are you?" she asked in a cold tone, leaving no room for argument.

"I used to work in a snake shop," he said quietly, hoping that she wouldn't press too much further. "Who are you?"

"I am merely a portrait, young man," she replied. "Though when I was alive I was privileged enough to know the Dark Lord when we were both in school together."

"What's your name, then?" Harry asked.

She smiled down at him. "We will both agree to keep our names a secret, but when you return to the Dark Lord, I would request that you inform him that the matriarchal head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black remains loyal to the beliefs she held as a young woman still in school," she said.

Harry paused for a moment before nodding. "I will," he said

"Thank you," she said. "I won't alert anyone else in the house as to your presence," she added.

Harry nodded his thanks and took a few steps further into the house. Just before he rounded the corner, Aviva tightened herself around his shoulders a bit. "_Aviva_?" he asked cautiously.

"_I will not stray far from you, child,_" she said. "_But it has been far too long since I have had the opportunity to hunt something other than a house elf_."

Harry grinned and kissed the top of her head. "_Don't kill anyone without me_," he said quietly. "_Happy hunting._"

"_And the same to you, child_," Aviva said as she slid down his body and around the corner, moving quicker than he'd seen her move for quite some time.

He watched the corner for a brief moment before taking a deep breath and shifting into his Animagus form. He took a moment to adjust to the new perspective and heightened senses before padding forward, looking for anyone on the level, and a staircase.

A good ten minutes later, after a thorough search of the main floor and a quick hunt of a suspiciously scented rat, Harry made his way up the stairs to the second floor.

There was an almost comfortable silence surrounding him, and the familiar smell of a non-human entity soon reached his nose. It wasn't quite demonic, though, so he kept his guard up while he cautiously made his way up the stairs.

When he reached the landing on the second floor, he heard two male voices talking quietly. The more prominent voice seemed to be pleading with his reluctant partner, but Harry couldn't quite make out what they were saying. He took hesitant steps down the hall, trying to decipher what was being said. When he was just outside the room, he made sure that he was out of sight before he sat down and listened to the conversation.

"Siri, please, it'll be safer there," one said.

After a moment of hesitation, a deeper voice grunted. "He'll kill me," he said.

"He gave me his word that he won't harm you at all," the first man said. "Please, Siri, you haven't left this house in nearly ten -" He fell silent abruptly, and Harry shifted out of his sitting position, quickly preparing himself to defend against an attack. "Whoever you are, stop hiding," the man said loudly. "It will be easier for you if you come out willingly."

Harry hesitated only a moment before taking a few steps to stand just inside the room.

Two men were sitting on the bed together: one a lean brunette with scars on his face and arms, and the other a black haired man who held an almost eery resemblance to a corpse, though there was an odd glint in his eyes that warned of insanity.

"A tiger?" the black haired man asked, and Harry growled lowly in protest.

"It looks like a black jaguar, actually," the brunette said. His eyes narrowed at Harry and he said nothing for a moment, though his brow furrowed a bit.

"Well how the fuck did it get in here?" he asked, glaring at Harry. "If I still had my wand, I'd make sure that the wards wouldn't allow anyone here that I didn't want to be here," he snapped. "Not this bullshit that's been set up."

Harry bared his teeth and hissed at the man, flicking his tail back and forth in a mix of amusement and annoyance at the two.

"I am well aware of that," the brunette said. "As is everyone else in this house."

"If they didn't keep me locked the fuck up in this fucking house, it wouldn't be a problem," the man snapped. "How the fuck did this big fucking cat get inside my fucking house?" he growled.

Harry bit back a grin. If this man didn't end up killing him, and if they didn't end up on opposite sides of the battlefield during some war, he and the man might almost be able to get along. At the very least, the man could be a new source of entertainment for him.

The brunette laughed bitterly, and Harry just caught the glimmer of sharpened canines. _Werewolf_, he thought with near absolute certainty. "You know Dumbledore and his tendency to trust anyone," he said irritably. "When the Molly and her family stayed here over Yule that first time, the Headmaster shared with all of them how to get to the house," he said. "And after he brought Miss Granger here, Ronald thought that it would be a bright idea to bring her into the circle of people who knew where Grimmauld Place was, how to get here, and how to share it with other people," he said, looking over at his companion. "And it turns out that she was a bit less than enamored with him."

"Uh huh. Who would have guessed?" the black haired man muttered, still staring at the jaguar sitting just inside the room, watching them.

The brunette sniffed the air again and sent a sudden, pointed glare in Harry's direction. "I can smell that you're an Animagus. Make this easier for all of us and change back," he said coolly, producing a wand from inside his sleeve and pointing it at Harry.

Harry paused for a moment, thinking about it, before backing up a few steps and quickly shifting back into his human form. He brushed a bit of dirt off of the sleeve of his dark green sweater, deliberately ignoring the little voice in his head that told him he was acting too much like Tom. When he looked back at the two men, he found that both men were wearing nearly identical expressions of complete and utter shock.

"This shouldn't be possible," the slighter man breathed out, barely audible. "This can't be possible."

The black haired man stood up and approached Harry, very slowly. His expression bespoke complete disbelief, almost as though he didn't believe that Harry was standing there.

Harry watched him cautiously, one hand straying absently to the switchblade he'd slipped into the back pocket of his jeans earlier that day. "What are you doing?" he asked, watching the man warily.

"Please," the man said quietly, tears in his eyes. "Please," he whispered.

Harry said nothing, and he took a half step back when the man raised his hands suddenly. He was unable to suppress the sudden flinch when the man took hold of his face.

Despite the almost mad look in his eyes, the man's hold was surprisingly gentle. "This can't be real," he whispered. He grasped Harry's chin with one hand and, with his other hand, he brushed Harry's hair away from his face to reveal the scar on his forehead. When his eyes locked onto the scar, he let out a loud sob and closed his eyes.

The young man jumped in surprise when he was pulled into a tight hug, and his grip tightened on his switchblade, but he said nothing while he was in the embrace. Tobias had always told him not to antagonize those who were afflicted with insanity, and he wasn't going to test the validity of that advice right now.

"He told me that you were dead," the man whispered, resting his chin on the top of Harry's head and pulling him closer to him, making it difficult for Harry to breathe properly.

The brunette man stood up and approached the two with caution. "Sirius, what are you talking about?" he asked gently, resting a hand on the man's shoulder.

"He's alive," the man - Sirius, apparently - said, and it sounded oddly like he was crying. "He fucking lied to me, Remy. He told me he was dead, but he lied," he said quietly.

"Sirius?" the werewolf asked.

This time Sirius didn't say anything. Instead, he loosened his hold enough for the brunette to see Harry, and he lifted a hand to brush Harry's hair out of his face again.

The other man's eyes widened and he reached out a hand as though to touch Harry, but at the last minute, he dropped it to rest on Sirius' forearm.

Harry decided that he'd had enough of being manhandled by slightly insane strangers and let out a guttural growl. He pulled himself out of Sirius' hold and backed away a few steps, this time pulling out his switchblade and brandishing it at the men. "I don't know who the fuck you are or who you think I am, but you keep your hands the fuck off of me," he said coldly.

Sirius took a step forward and opened his mouth as though to protest, but the brunette kept a hold on the man's forearm and stopped him from getting any closer.

"You are aware of the significance behind your scar?" the brunette asked.

"I've got a number of scars, actually," Harry said. "Each of them has a particular meaning, and none of them are insignificant. And don't come any closer to me," he said when he noticed that Sirius had taken a step forward.

"The lightning bolt scar," Sirius said quietly. "The one on your forehead. The curse scar that is living proof that you are the only one in the world who has managed to survive the Killing Curse. It's proof that you are Harry Potter, alive and breathing."

"I want your names," Harry said coldly.

The brunette man nodded. "I am Remus Lupin, and this is Sirius Black," he said. "When you were born, Harry, your parents named Sirius your godfather," he said.

"So?" Harry asked, though he put his knife back in his pocket. "Is that supposed to mean anything to me?"

Sirius offered Harry a humorless smile. "When your parents were alive, it was going to mean that Remus and I were going to be a permanent part of your life," he said. "But then your parents were killed and I was sent to Azkaban and Remus ended up essentially a fugitive," he said.

Remus frowned. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Harry said nothing.

"You're not here for a reunion," Remus said, more a statement than a question.

Harry shook his head.

Before anyone else said anything, Aviva moved into the room and wrapped herself around Harry's chest, settling her head on Harry's shoulder and under his ear. "_I found the boy you're looking for_," she hissed.

"_How can you be sure_?" Harry asked, not looking away from the two men in the room. He bit back a smirk at the gobsmacked looks on the men's faces, but he kept his attention focused on the basilisk.

"_Because apart from the wolf and his mate, the boy is the only other person in the house_," she hissed. "_He is alive, but unconscious, in his bedroom on the third floor_."

Harry nodded and kissed her on the top of her head. "_Go keep an eye on him for me, would you_?" he asked.

"_If I bite him a few times -_"

"_Not right now_," Harry said. "_Once we get back on safe ground, you've got free reign with the boy, but I don't want to risk any unnecessary complications while we're here_," he added.

She hissed happily - her way of laughing - and butted her head affectionately against his cheek before dislodging herself from him and leaving the room again.

Harry glanced over his shoulder as Aviva moved out of the room and turned around a corner.

"You speak the snake language," Sirius said, sounding almost disappointed.

"Since I was a child," Harry said. "As much as I enjoy this reunion, I came here for a single purpose, and I have something of a deadline to follow," he said, looking over at Remus. "There's a full moon tonight, isn't there?" he asked.

The man's eyes flashed amber briefly before he nodded. "You know?"

"Cats have an increased sense of smell than humans," Harry said. "And I have a serpentine ally," he added.

"It was a basilisk," Sirius said coolly.

"She is, yes," Harry said. "I have a deadline, and I'm not willing to leave liabilities like you around to help my enemies."

Sirius scowled. "You're working for them, then," he said.

"Not for them," Harry said. He paused and said nothing for a moment. "Depending on who you're calling 'them,' I'm working with them, rather," he added.

"So what are you planning on doing today?" Remus asked gently.

Harry smirked. "I'm going to collect what I came here for, and I'm going to leave. If you get in my way, I will be forced to forcibly remove you from my way," he said. He glanced between Remus and Sirius to look out the window behind them. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't let anyone know about this," he added.

"And if we do?" Sirius asked, an almost mutinous look on his face.

"Then I'd have to consider the both of you my enemy from this point forward," he said. "Regardless of who you once may have been to me."

A brief silence came over the three of them before Remus nodded slightly.

"I won't wish you well," the man said. "But we will keep our silence. For today only."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at him and made an odd gesture with his hand, as though he was flourishing a bow at them. "I appreciate that," he said. "And if we meet in better circumstances, I'll buy the first round," he added before leaving the room.

Aviva was waiting for him at the top of the staircase to the third floor. "_Why did you abstain from using your magic against them_?" she asked. "_Your conversation with the wolf and his human was completely unnecessary_."

Harry shrugged. "_I don't know what wards are in place in this house, and there was no reason to risk setting them off with a few spells that could achieve the same thing as a quick poke in the throat, if that's what the situation came down to_," he said, gesturing at the pocket of his jeans where his knife was concealed.

She hissed quietly, not saying anything, and started moving back from the staircase. She headed into the only room with an open door, hissing for Harry to keep up with her.

When he walked into the room, Harry saw a chubby brunette boy about his age, lying unconscious on the floor at the foot of his bed. "_Did you find him like this_?" he asked, walking further into the room and nudging the boy's head with his foot, doing his best to ensure that the boy was out.

"_He was just getting out of bed when he saw me come into his room_," she hissed. "_His screams were painful to just listen to, and I saw that as reason enough to ensure that he wasn't kept awake,_" she said. "_I'm rather surprised that you didn't hear him, child_," she added.

Harry nodded and picked up the young man with ease, almost as though the dead weight of the body wasn't an issue for him. "_Once we're back with Tom, the boy's death belongs to you_," he said, carrying the body over his shoulder. "_I would just request that you leave his face identifiable_," he added as Aviva moved up his waist to wrap part of her body around the body to help carry the weight.

"_I appreciate this, child_," she said as Harry started making his way down the staircase.

On his way out of the house, he stopped at the portrait in the front hall.

The woman looked particularly amused when she noticed the unconscious body over Harry's shoulder. "You are an odd one, young associate of the Dark Lord," she said. "I will be seeing you again, won't I?"

"I won't make any promises," Harry said, shifting the body a bit. "In any case, it was nice to meet you."

"And you as well," she said.

Harry nodded to her and said nothing before making his way out of the house. When he stood on the doorstep, he cast a silent Disillusionment Charm on himself and headed down the street. When he felt he was a safe distance away from the house, he gave Aviva a quick warning before Apparating back to the Dark Lord's Manor.

...

Mixie was waiting for Harry in the front hall of the Manor, and there was an oddly gleeful look on her face.

"Is everything alright, Mixie?" he asked.

"Master is being gone to speak with Master Minister of Magic, and he is saying that he is going to be being gone for at least two hours," she said, almost bouncing in her spot with happiness. "So we is going to be having hours to wrap his bleeding gift in the office," she said. Mixie looked over at the body that he was carrying. "Is Master's guest not having the chance to be killing the boy before it is being gift wrapped for Master?" she asked.

"I thought I'd give Aviva a chance to hunt down something other than you and the other house elves," Harry said.

Mixie smiled, looking almost relieved. "Master's guest is being very kind to Mixie," she said. "Is Master's guest's prisoner being set loose in the sunroom?"

"_What do you think, Aviva_?" he asked. "_The sunroom for a quick hunt with you and Nagini_?" he asked.

"_That sounds like fun_," she hissed. "_We will be allowed to bite the brat this time_?" she asked.

"_As much as you like_," he said, kissing her on the head as he headed toward the sunroom, Mixie following him cautiously.

...

The hunt lasted longer than Harry thought it would.

As soon as he walked into the room, and after Aviva told Nagini what the situation with their new captive was, Nagini had instructed Harry to get into a sturdy branch in the tree and out of their way so he didn't accidentally get in the way of the hunt.

When he was safely sequestered away in a tree, he cast a spell that woke Longbottom up, and the second that he noticed the large snakes watching him like he was their next meal (which, technically, he was), he bolted.

Nagini had taken the time to make sure that Aviva had adapted well to hunting something other than a house elf, and she had even given Aviva the privilege of taking the first strike.

So, an hour and a half after he'd returned from the Grimmauld house in London, Harry had managed to recover the dead body of what was once the Longbottom boy and took it to Tom's office.

Mixie helped him wrap the body in almost obnoxiously bright red wrapping paper, and they finished the wrapping with a large gold bow covering the boy's face. "Is Master's guest going to be going with Master to the party that Master Minister of Magic is hosting tonight?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "I don't think I have a choice," he said with a grin. He stretched his arms a bit, wincing when he pulled uncomfortably on one of the deepest wounds on his back. "Shit," he muttered, scowling. "Mixie, could you help me with something else?" he asked.

"Mixie is pleased to being helping Master's guest with anything he is being needing," she said.

"I need to clean my wounds and change my bandages, but I can't reach all the way around without help," he said.

Mixie nodded. She followed Harry out of the study and up to the bedroom that Harry shared with Tom.

"Mixie?" Harry asked as they were both heading up the stairs. "Why do you only call me Master's guest?" he asked.

"Because Mixie isn't knowing what else to be calling Master's guest," she said.

Harry smirked a bit. "You could just try Harry, maybe?" he suggested.

"Mixie isn't being allowed to use names. She has to use titles like Master's guest for the people who is being living in the Manor, or who is being visiting the Manor with frequency, like Master Minister of Magic," she said.

...

After Harry's wounds had been inspected and re-dressed, Mixie disappeared to help some of the house elves that Nagini was chasing on her way out to the Manor gardens. To his pleasant surprise, Harry found that he only had two lash lines left to heal - and while they were both still rather deep, they were healing quickly and didn't hurt unless he directly aggravated them.

He headed out of the bedroom, wondering when, exactly, Tom would be returning to find his gift. He pulled on a fresh shirt - this time a dark blue button down shirt - so he wouldn't be dealing with the smell of blood and whatever cologne the Longbottom boy had been drenched in.

When he walked past the sitting room, though, he noticed someone sitting rather uncomfortably on one of the couches. He paused and walked into the room, only growing more confused when he recognized Draco Malfoy.

"Are you here for Tom?" Harry asked.

Draco stood up when he noticed Harry walked inside the room. "Not this time," he said. "I'm actually here to speak with you."

Harry frowned. "Why?"

"I received an Owl from the Dark Lord a few hours ago, informing me that I was to come here so that I could assist you in choosing something for the ball," he said.

"He sent you to help me find dress robes?" Harry asked curiously.

Draco smirked. "No, and that's the interesting part," he said. "He informed me that I was to help you find something to properly outfit a leopard for the ball," he said.

Harry laughed quietly. "Why did he seek your assistance for that?" he asked.

"My father has a menagerie that contains two tigers and a snow leopard," Draco said. "And I know where he goes to find collars for the felines," he added. "Why would he ask that you come along with me on this errand?"

Harry scowled. "Something of an inside joke, rather," he said. "Where are we going to go?" he asked.

"There's a small shop in Nepal that my father has been going to for years, and if you didn't have any objections, I thought we'd start there."

Harry shrugged. "Sure, I guess," he said. "How will we be getting there?" he asked.

"A side-long Apparation would be the quickest," Draco said.

"Sure," Harry said. "But we're going to have to leave this Manor to do that," he said.

Draco nodded. "We can return to my home and leave from there, if you'd like," he suggested.

Harry nodded. "Cool."

...

After about an hour - due to complications with the wards at Malfoy Manor - Harry and Draco arrived outside a small cabin in the middle of nowhere.

"Are you sure that this is the right place?" Harry asked, looking over at Draco.

The blonde nodded. "The owner actually owns the land surrounding his shop, and there are a number of big cats roaming around the forest," he said. He ran a hand through his hair and walked forward to get into the shop.

Once inside, Harry was only barely able to keep his surprise hidden.

The shop was completely different on the inside. On the outside, it looked like a plain log cabin. On the inside, however, it was enormous. There was a huge fireplace along one wall while the other walls were made of huge windows. There was a large couch facing the fireplace, and a small white tiger was asleep on the couch.

"Charlie?" Draco called.

"Just a minute!" came a voice from around a corner. A few seconds later, a man walked around the corner, followed closely by what looked like a lynx. He was tall, with bleach blonde hair and gold eyes, and he looked remarkably comfortable with the warmth given off by the fireplace. "Young Mister Draco," he said, smiling when he recognized the young man. "How are you?"

"I've been well," Draco said. "I don't mean to be rude," he said. "But my friend and I are looking for a collar on a short notice."

The man nodded. "How short notice?"

"An hour at the most," Draco said, and Charlie nodded.

"I love it when you bring me a challenge. Come on into the kitchen and we can get started," the man said. "Do you remember the questions?" he asked as Harry and Draco followed him into the kitchen and took seats at the kitchen table.

"It's been almost a year since I last saw you," Draco said. "And my friend has never been to see you before."

Charlie nodded. "We're working on a basis of anonymity with green eyes, then?" he asked.

Harry smirked. "Something like that," he said.

The older man grinned wickedly. "I've missed that bit of fun," he said. "Now, the questions. First of all, what kind of cat is this?"

"A black leopard," Harry said. "Just about fully grown."

"Age doesn't concern me," Charlie said.

At Harry's confused look, Draco cleared his throat. "His collars are spelled to adjust to the proper size of the cat's neck as it grows," he said before looking over at Charlie. "And this is for a ball at the Ministry tonight, so it needs to be formal."

"That answers the second question, kid," Charlie said. "Now, for the last two questions, what stones do you want featured in the collar and what material do you want this thing to be made of?" he asked.

Harry was at a complete loss, so he leaned back and looked over at Draco for assistance.

"The collar should be made of dragon-hide, and there should be a diamond overlay with green opals on the thing," Draco said. "The rest is completely up to you," he said.

Charlie frowned a bit. "That's not going to be cheap, kid," he said.

Draco nodded. "I'm aware of that," he said. "And it's to be added to my father's bill," he added.

Charlie nodded and stood up. "Awesome," he said, smiling a bit. "If you two want to hang around here for an hour, I'll have it done and you can take it back with you," he said.

Draco nodded again. "Thanks," he said.


End file.
